5 bold predictions for 49ers defense vs. Sam Darnold, Vikings

The 49ers face off against an old friend, Sam Darnold, when they visit the Vikings in Week 2. It's bold-prediction time!

Quarterback Sam Darnold had an excellent regular-season debut for his new team, the Minnesota Vikings, during their Week 1 victory on the road over the New York Giants.

Darnold, who spent 2023 as the San Francisco 49ers' backup to Brock Purdy, completed nearly 80 percent of his passes in that game, tossed for 208 yards with two touchdowns against an interception and posted a 113.2 passer rating.

The Niners, fresh off their convincing Monday Night Football victory over quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets, plan on making Darnold's life significantly more difficult this upcoming Sunday.

Darnold could be without one of his top weapons for the showdown, wide receiver Jordan Addison, who is dealing with an ankle injury.

Can San Francisco use this possibility to its advantage? If so, it might force at least one of these five Week 2 bold predictions to come true for the 49ers defense versus Darnold.

Bold prediction No. 1: 49ers intercept Sam Darnold 2 times

During the first four years of his career, Darnold averaged slightly more than one interception thrown per game, and his career interception percentage (3.1) is still pretty high despite cutting down on those numbers in the seasons since, primarily as a backup.

Boasting an NFL-best 22 interceptions a season ago, some may argue the Niners' defensive backfield is even stronger and deeper than it was in 2023, meaning there could be plenty of opportunities for San Francisco to make Darnold "see ghosts" again.

If Darnold is forcing passes, which he has a tendency of doing, expect the 49ers to enjoy a multi-interception game.

Bold prediction No. 2: 49ers limit Aaron Jones to less than 3 yards per carry

One of the means to make Darnold one-dimensional and force passes is to hinder Minnesota's rushing attack, namely running back Aaron Jones, who ripped off 94 rush yards and a touchdown over the G-Men while averaging a whopping 6.7 yards per attempt.

That's threatening, especially considering the Vikings offensive line looks potent. But the Niners debunked the notion of their run defense being a problem last Monday, holding Jets star rusher Breece Hall to a paltry 2.5 yards per attempt, plus a lost fumble in the first quarter.

If San Francisco is able to both get out to an early lead and keep Jones from becoming a key factor by holding him to 3.0 yards or less, it'll aid the first prediction by forcing Darnold to be the primary playmaker and distributor, which is to the 49ers' advantage.

Bold prediction No. 3: Justin Jefferson has 100-yard game, no other Viking has 20 yards

With Addison likely out, one of Darnold's key objectives will be to involve All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson as much as possible.

Jefferson didn't need to take over Week 1 against New York, thanks to Minnesota getting out to an early lead and stifling the Giants offense throughout, and he finished with 59 yards on four catches and a touchdown.

Darnold distributed the ball to eight different pass catchers last week, but he'll probably lean on Jefferson much more against an elite Niners defense, potentially leading to the wideout's first 100-yard game of the season.

That might sting. But, if San Francisco can ensure no other Vikings target makes much of an impact, Jefferson's prowess can be limited.

Let's anticipate no other Minnesota weapon breaks 20 yards receiving.

Bold prediction No. 4: Javon Hargrave nets 2 sacks

The Vikings' offensive tackle tandem of Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill did an excellent job of keeping Darnold upright against the G-Men's outside pass-rushing duo of Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns last Sunday.

That could spell trouble for the 49ers' own, Nick Bosa and Leonard Floyd. However, Minnesota did struggle a bit to protect its quarterback up the middle.

Perhaps this is where defensive tackle Javon Hargrave makes a statement.

Hargrave, whom the Niners picked up in free agency a year ago, tallied seven sacks and 14 quarterback hits in 2023. Not a bad year at all, but the Pro Bowler vowed to be even better this season.

Two sacks would help reach that goal.

Bold prediction No. 5: 49ers hold Vikings to less than 300 net yards

Last week, San Francisco held Rodgers and the Jets to just 266 offensive yards, a good chunk of which came after the 49ers established an insurmountable lead and New York pulled its starters, inserting backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor into the game.

The 49ers may not enjoy as commanding a performance on the short week. But it's safe to say the threat of Darnold is far less worrisome than Rodgers, and the Niners aren't dealing with any significant injuries on the defensive side of the ball anyway.

Jefferson might be a factor, yes. But San Francisco curtailing the remainder of Minnesota's offensive weapons could lead to yet another game in which the opponent fails to reach the 300-yard plateau.

The 49ers' goal here is to hold the Vikings to less than 300 yards when both teams square off on Sunday, Sept. 15 at US Bank Stadium.

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