MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings started the season strong by trouncing the New York Giants in week one, but they'll face a much stiffer test Sunday when the San Francisco 49ers come to U.S. Bank Stadium.
You can watch the game exclusively on WCCO, with pregame coverage starting at 10:30 a.m.
The 49ers' season-opening victory was as impressive as the Vikings, if not more so. San Francisco beat Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets 32-19 thanks to 180 yards and two touchdowns on the ground and two turnovers by the defense.
The Vikings, meanwhile, rode an eye-opening defensive performance to a 28-6 beatdown of the Giants on the road. Brian Flores' unit grabbed two turnovers, including a pick-six, and sacked quarterback Daniel Jones five times. On offense, Aaron Jones averaged 6.7 yards a carry and scored a touchdown. QB Sam Darnold, in his first start as a Viking, logged an efficient statline of 18/24 passing for 208 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
The 49ers are a familiar foe for Darnold — he spent last season backing up Brock Purdy for San Francisco, and started one game at the end of the season. After one game this season, Purdy and Darnold rank sixth and seventh, respectively, in ESPN's QBR metric.
Both teams will be shorthanded on offense due to injury — the 49ers will be missing star running back Christian McCaffrey, while the Vikings' No. 2 wideout, Jordan Addison, is out.
While the Detroit Lions still look like the team to beat in the NFC North, the Vikings' week one performance announced them as a team not to be written off. If Minnesota can manage to beat San Francisco, they'll have to be taken seriously as a contender in the NFC.
Kickoff is at noon Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium. Follow all of the action below.
49ers' Kittle scores touchdown
The 49ers' George Kittle scores a 7-yard touchdown and Jake Moody scores the extra point. The 49ers now trail the Vikings by three points with less than two minutes left in the second quarter.
Justin Jefferson scores 97-yard touchdown reception
Justin Jefferson scored a 97-yard touchdown reception for the Vikings and Will Reichard scored the extra point, improving their score to 10-0 against the 49ers.
Vikings score field goal
The Vikings' Will Reichard kicked a 22-yard field goal to score the first points of the game. The Vikings are now ahead of the 49ers 3-0.
Vikings superfan from Arizona returns to Minnesota for home opener
Jason Harmon from Arizona is one of the Vikings' biggest fans, and he'll be among the sea of purple inside U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday.
Click here for Harmon's full story.