Last year, the San Francisco 49ers waited until their sixth game of the season before losing a game. This year, they didn’t have to wait that long, losing 23-17 to the Minnesota Vikings in just Week 2. It was a surprising loss for the 49ers, but the team didn’t play particularly well, unlike the Vikings. They deserved the win, and after the game, Brock Purdy praised Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
After Purdy finished congratulating his former teammate and current Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold on winning with his new team, Purdy said, “The scheme is crazy” to Flores. That’s no mistake, as the Vikings hit Purdy six times and hit him seven times overall. It’s good to have a game like this early in the season because it shows the team that their road to repeating as NFC champions won’t be easy. They have to win in different ways and once the playoffs arrive, the defenses they face will become more difficult.
The Vikings weren’t considered a good team coming into this season, especially with former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold at the helm, but they’re 2-0, so kudos to them. They dominated Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers in every aspect of the game on Sunday and deserved the win. Shanahan’s group seemed unprepared for what the Vikings threw at them, and it showed. Purdy bore the brunt of Flores’ crazy plan, picking up six tackles and being pressured throughout the game. He still completed 28 of 36 passes for 319 yards and a touchdown, but threw one interception and, as mentioned many times, was sent to the ground more times than fans would like.
Shanahan is a great coach and he has to find ways to make his offense work better against defenses like the Vikings, but for now, Flores definitely has the bragging rights with his crazy scheme. Hopefully the 49ers will be more prepared next time.