49ers vs. Vikings preseason: 5 key points of emphasis for San Francisco

The 49ers visit the Vikings for Week 2 of the 2022 preseason, and head coach Kyle Shanahan will want to make sure his team hones in on the following points.

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan has already decreed Week 2 of the 2022 preseason will be the least important matchup of the three-game exhibition period before the Niners kick off against the Chicago Bears to open up the regular-season campaign.

The Week 2 preseason opponent, the Minnesota Vikings, already welcomed Shanahan and Co. for a two-day practice/scrimmage session at the Vikings’ training camp facility at Eagen, Minnesota. So, in that way, San Francisco has already garnered plenty of information about its 85-man roster matching up against another opponent.

As such, don’t expect Shanahan to deploy some (if any) of his starters and first-team units when these teams square off in a game setting this Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

However, for players looking to secure primary spots on the depth chart and those merely hoping to crack the 53-man roster, Saturday’s bout is far more important than anything else yet experienced.

That’ll be part of the storylines worth watching, but Shanahan and his coaching staff will also want to ensure these particular elements are kept clean and productive throughout the game, too.

49ers point of emphasis vs. Vikings No. 1: Stay healthy

The 49ers suffered a few key injuries during and shortly after their preseason Week 1 win over the Green Bay Packers, most notably losing safety Jimmie Ward and offensive lineman Daniel Brunskill both to hamstring injuries, Ward’s injury coming two days later during practice.

Likewise, defensive back Dontae Johnson also suffered a ribs injury during the game, too.

Shanahan is likely safeguarding against any further injuries to significant players by resting the bulk of his starters against Minnesota. But any position, in particular, could be completely decimated by only a handful of injury setbacks.

And with the bulk of players the Niners field in this game entering desperation mode to carve out a key role this season, there won’t be any “going at less than 100 percent” during the game.

Avoiding injuries is a science, yes, but it’s hard to predict whether or not there’s anything San Francisco will actually do to limit them during the game, even if it’s an exhibition one.

Perhaps some extra prayers, knocking on wood or whatever else fans, players and coaches use to avoid the injury bug.