5 49ers who must prove themselves in NFC divisional round vs. Vikings
By Peter Panacy
With the San Francisco 49ers hosting the Minnesota Vikings in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs, Niner Noise looks at five players who’ll have to prove themselves in the bout.
The San Francisco 49ers have already proven they belong in the 2020 NFL playoffs, having finished the regular season with a 13-3 record, winning the NFC West, securing the top seed in the conference and beating a number of postseason-bound teams along the way.
After enjoying the first-round bye in the Wild Card round, the Niners are poised to host the No. 6 seed, the Minnesota Vikings, at Levi’s Stadium in the divisional round.
The Vikings, who finished the year 10-6, are coming off a stunning upset road win in the Wild Card round over the New Orleans Saints, who many saw as the legitimate contender for Super Bowl LIV. That win proved any team, despite where it sits in the playoffs, can be capable of pulling off an upset.
San Francisco doesn’t want that trend to continue, obviously.
At the same time, ensuring the 49ers advance will be contingent upon the players on the field. While some are likely to provide some top-tier efforts, others will need to prove themselves in the Niners’ first “do or die” situation under head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Here are five players who’ll need to prove themselves in this divisional bout.
No. 5: Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has already shown the ability to not just hold his own against playoff-caliber teams, but to beat them in clutch situations, too.
Case in point, Jimmy G’s four-touchdown game in San Francisco’s thrilling Week 14 win on the road in New Orleans.
Regardless, Saturday’s bout will mark the first time Garoppolo has taken the field during the postseason. Whatever mental obstacles are there, Garoppolo should benefit from the high-pressure games the 49ers endured down the stretch.
But proving the ability to do so in the playoffs is an entirely different story.
Some critics would argue Garoppolo having a key postseason moment is the final piece missing from considering him a true franchise elite. Standing in the way of that potential moment is a Vikings defense, which ranked fifth best in scoring and averaged just 5.8 yards allowed per pass attempt — good for seventh.