49ers game grades from tough win over Vikings in Week 12

In the most important game of the 49ers’ 2021 season, they wore out the Vikings in Week 12, winning 34-26 to bolster their playoff odds.

The San Francisco 49ers came into their crucial Week 12 matchup at Levi’s Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings riding high, having locked in two straight wins over the Los Angeles Rams and Jacksonville Jaguars in back-to-back weeks amid a return to the offensive quality they were accustomed to.

The bigger result of those two wins? A vault back into the playoff picture and a date with what was the current No. 5 seed in the NFC playoff picture in the then-5-5 Vikings.

For a Niners team that had struggled so much earlier in the year, Week 12 was as much of a must-win game as can exist this early in the regular season.

Well, on the backs of wide receiver Deebo Samuel, running back Elijah Mitchell, and timely defensive turnovers, San Francisco managed to walk away with a clutch 34-26 win in exciting (albeit stressful) fashion, solidifying their push to the playoffs and potentially setting their sights on stealing the fifth seed away from the Rams, who are only a game ahead of the 49ers after losing their Week 12 bout against the Green Bay Packers.

While there were some headaches and stress points, Niner Noise has your game grades ready for you from the playoff-like victory for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co.