Why 49ers playing Vikings in divisional round is good news
The road to the Super Bowl goes through the San Francisco 49ers, and their opponent is the No. 6 seed in the Minnesota Vikings. Here’s why that’s good news for San Francisco.
The benefit of the top seed for the San Francisco 49ers, other than staying at home, is they get to have the week off for the first round of the NFL playoffs and maybe see an upset or two happen.
Indeed, this was exactly what happened.
The No. 6 seed in the Minnesota Vikings did a “San Francisco” when they went to New Orleans and upset the No. 3 seed Saints 26-20 under the dome. In doing so, it delayed or prevented what was the probable rubber match against the Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs.
Of course one can never take lightly an opponent, especially in the postseason, but playing the Vikings may be the best-case scenario and it comes down to their biggest weakness.
Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins may be the best known example of a quarterback who doesn’t come through in the clutch. Against winning teams, even with the playoff victory, Cousins has a 7-30 record against winning teams in the NFL. His win against the Saints was his first playoff victory of his career.
Let’s be clear, Cousins had a big game in New Orleans. He was lucky an interception was dropped and he wasn’t perfect, but to play so well in a rowdy playoff atmosphere in New Orleans is to be respected.
Respected, but not feared.
The same can be said for the Vikings as a team. They have a great running game and a good defense, but the 49ers have played good running games and good defenses before.
Perhaps most telling, however, is what Cousins will need to face.
Linebacker Kwon Alexander has been cleared to return to action, which is huge for the 49ers defense. The reason why it impacts Cousins so much is when Alexander is on the field with EDGEs Nick Bosa and Dee Ford (also expected to return), is that opposing quarterbacks achieved a QBR value of only 3.0, which rates the quarterback in all games on a scale from 0 to 100.
That’s not a mistake, 3.0 out of 100.0.
In short, quarterbacks are helpless with all three on the field. Cousins may have turned a corner with his first playoff victory, but the 49ers have the weapons to cause him to revert back to his normal self when playing winning teams.
Not to mention, Cousins is a much more desirable opponent under center than Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. Some people want San Francisco to have the toughest games possible to prove the team’s worth, but the 49ers have already done that in the regular season.
Next. Vikings vs. 49ers: 5 X-factors for NFC divisional round of playoffs. dark
There’s no such thing as an easy opponent in the playoffs, but the Vikings present a much clearer road to the Super Bowl than any of the alternatives.