4 reasons why 49ers embarrassingly lost Monday night to Vikings
By Peter Panacy
42. Final. 22. 60. 49ers Vikings final. 17
The 49ers trailed nearly all of Monday Night Football against the Vikings, but Brock Purdy and Co. somehow managed to deliver late when it was needed most.
The San Francisco 49ers can circle their two-game stretch between Weeks 6 and 7 as examples of what it means to overcome adversity.
The Niners were unable to do that in Week 6 on the road against the Cleveland Browns, losing a tough 19-17 bout that provided plenty of chances for head coach Kyle Shanahan and Co. to win the game. Then, on Monday Night Football in Week 7, San Francisco looked wholly outplayed on both sides of the ball by the sub-.500 Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota, despite being a hefty underdog, managed to outclass the 49ers on both sides of the ball and pulled off a 22-17 victory, sending the Niners to 5-2 amid a two-game losing streak.
Why?
San Francisco had plenty of issues on both sides of the ball, but let's highlight the four biggest reasons why Shanahan and the 49ers found themselves on the wrong side of a game they ultimately could have won.
Reason No. 1: Brock Purdy's 2 brutal INTs in the final clutch moments
Quarterback Brock Purdy has been sensational since taking over duties for the Niners late last season, but rare are those signature fourth-quarter comebacks featuring game-winning drives.
Purdy had one of those his rookie season, but in back-to-back weeks, he and the offense have failed to generate that final go-ahead score with regulation running out.
Week 7 provided not one but two opportunities to take the lead, but Purdy ended up tossing back-to-back interceptions on consecutive drives, both of which were snagged by Vikings safety Camryn Bynum, the first at the 5:30 mark of the fourth quarter and then the other with 34 seconds remaining.
Brutal.
Purdy had played well up to that point, and his 21-of-30 line for 272 yards is masked by the two picks.
Still, those are the moments when the great quarterbacks separate themselves from the good, and Purdy looked far closer to the latter category on Monday night.