Lots of losers (and 2 winners) from 49ers' Week 2 loss to Vikings

The 49ers lost a disjointed, ugly game against the Vikings in Week 2, and there are plenty of losers from the Niners' side of things.

Why exactly did the San Francisco 49ers lose their Week 2 road game against the Minnesota Vikings?

Was it due to the multitude of failed third- and fourth-down conversion attempts? How about two lost turnovers? Were some defensive miscues responsible, including giving up a 97-yard touchdown to wide receiver Justin Jefferson? Maybe it was because of the Niners coming off a short week and having to travel east to play in a state where they haven't won since the early 1990s (seriously).

In reality, all of those factors played a role. As such, in the wake of the 23-17 Week 2 defeat, there are plenty of losers from San Francisco's effort.

We'll look at a couple of winners, too, but it's safe to assume said losers will dominate this particular reaction.

Loser: Head coach Kyle Shanahan

Putting it bluntly, head coach Kyle Shanahan was outcoached and outclassed by the Vikings' coaching tandem of Kevin O'Connell and Brian Flores.

Despite running back Jordan Mason averaging 5 yards per carry in the game, Shanahan called a pass-heavy offense that asked quarterback Brock Purdy to toss 36 pass attempts. Even though that number was skewed by the 49ers falling behind, it wasn't a balanced offense.

On a more-problematic note, Shanahan's offense went 2-of-10 on third-down tries and 1-of-3 on fourth-down conversion attempts.

The third-down issues are troublesome, yet Shanahan defended his decisions on fourth down.

"I just didn't mind the decision in those situations," the head coach said. But he later added he wasn't pleased with the results.

Neither were Niners fans.

Loser: Punter Mitch Wishnowsky

It's not necessarily punter Mitch Wishnowsky's first-half punt was blocked by Minnesota's special teams ace, C.J. Ham.

But, when safety Theo Jackson hopped on the loose ball, Wishnowsky failed to even tap the recovering player to down him at the spot.

Instead, Jackson stood up and rumbled forward for a 37-yard return.

Granted, the Vikings scored only a field goal following the special teams turnover. Yet that was a massive momentum shift that went in the Norsemen's favor, and it could have largely been avoided if Wishnowsky simply acted quickly.

Losers: Safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum

While the blocked punt and subsequent return were major highlights for Minnesota, the 97-yard touchdown by wide receiver Justin Jefferson following a failed fourth-down try at the goal line by San Francisco was equally as depressing.

Safeties Ji'Ayir Brown and George Odum were ultimately responsible in coverage yet lacked the recovery speed to keep pace with Jefferson, and neither 49ers safety was able to keep the All-Pro receiver in front of them to limit the damage.

"I've got to be better," Brown admitted after the game. "I kind of left [Odum] hanging there."

Brown hesitated for a slight moment, allowing Jefferson to gain a step, but Odum didn't exactly provide enough assistance, leading to one of the game's most crucial moments.

Winner: Linebacker Fred Warner

Week 2 wasn't solely full of downers and failures. If anything, linebacker Fred Warner showed why he's a perennial All-Pro by being all over the field and making a multitude of impactful plays.

Leading the team with nine tackles, Warner also recorded a sack, a tackle for a loss, forced two fumbles and even notched his first interception of the year:

The combined efforts should have been enough, defensively, to guarantee the Niners a victory. And it's safe to say his presence at least kept San Francisco's defense in the game.

Too bad there were far too many miscues elsewhere.

Loser: Wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk

The 49ers finally paid wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk as a top-flight offensive weapon after an offseason full of contractual drama.

Two games into the year, Aiyuk has yet to show up as a $30 million per-year kind of receiver.

Aiyuk wasn't much of a factor in Week 1 against the New York Jets, even dropping a would-be touchdown in the end zone. In Week 2, Aiyuk fared slightly better by notching four catches on five targets for 43 yards, but one might have expected significantly more from the Niners' best receiver over the previous two years.

Especially in those clutch moments when San Francisco needed a play.

Instead, Aiyuk has largely been a disappointment over the first two weeks, and it's fair to wonder if skipping the 49ers' offseason workout programs and training camp is hindering his performance.

Winner: Defensive end Nick Bosa

Bosa can relate to Aiyuk having a down year after signing a lucrative contract extension, which was the case in 2023 after the former landed what was then the biggest non-quarterback contract in NFL history.

After failing to notch a sack in Week 1 against the Jets, Bosa turned into a force in Week 2 by taking down quarterback Sam Darnold twice, showcasing the kind of pass-rushing capabilities that made him the Defensive Player of the Year from 2022.

While there were plenty of defensive miscues on Sunday, Bosa and Warner were the two clear-cut best defenders on the field for San Francisco.

Loser: Right tackle Colton McKivitz

The fact Purdy was sacked six times reveals a hard truth: The 49ers offensive line might not be quite as good as fans thought it was after Week 1.

Granted, Minnesota frequently rushed five, but Purdy was regularly under relentless pressure and took seven hits during the game, most of them coming from the right side of the Niners O-line.

That points at right tackle Colton McKivitz.

McKivitz was credited by Pro Football Focus for giving up a team-high six pressures in the affair, one of those turning into a QB hit, and he was also hit with a false-start penalty right before the two-minute warning in the first half, which didn't help matters.

Unfortunately, the notion of McKivitz being San Francisco's weakest link up front wasn't alleviated on Sunday.

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