49ers playoff success reinforces Zimmer philosophy on run game and dominant defense
By Jeff Diamond, former Vikings GM who co-hosted Monday Night Purple and Purple Sunday Postgame this past season on News Talk 830 WCCO
The 49ers dominating win over the Packers in the NFC title game should make Vikings coaches, players and fans feel better about their team for a couple of reasons.
First is the fact that the Vikings played the 49ers tougher than the Packers as Minnesota at least was competitive in the first half, trailing 14-10 at halftime. Not so good for Green Bay who was down 27-0 after two quarters before scoring some late TDs to eventually lose 37-20. Kirk Cousins had just one turnover in San Fran and it came on an interception when there was a miscommunication with Adam Thielen on a route. Aaron Rodgers threw two interceptions and lost a fumble to put the Pack in a hole.
Then there’s the way the 49ers won both of their postseason games that reinforces how Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer wants to see his team play—with a dominant run game based on a zone blocking scheme and with a run-stopping defense that sets the table for a fierce pass rush that results in turnovers.
San Francisco has run 75% of the time while playing with the lead except for a 7-7 first quarter tie in the divisional round win over the Vikings. Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo threw 19 times against Minnesota with 131 passing yards and attempted only eight passes—completing six for just 77 yards-- in the NFC Championship win over the Packers.
Sounds like Kirk Cousins’ passing stats in the Vikings’ season opening 28-12 win over Atlanta when he completed 8 of 10 passes for 98 yards while Dalvin Cook rushed for 111 yards and 2 TDs and Alexander Mattison added 49 yards on the ground. The Vikings’ offense became more balanced as the season went on but the 49ers are winning with the run game.
I knew San Francisco had a good rushing attack (No. 2 ranked in regular season) but it’s been surprising to see the 49ers face two good defenses in the playoffs and rush for 186 yards against Minnesota and top that with an amazing 285 yards on the ground against Green Bay.
Tevin Coleman seemed to be the third option among Coach Kyle Shanahan’s running backs going into the playoffs. Yet he ran for 105 yards and two TDs against the Vikings. Then when Coleman got hurt early in the title game, Raheem Mostert stepped up and exploded for 220 rushing yards and four TDs against the overwhelmed Packers. This monster performance on the big stage came from a player who has been cut seven times. Talk about perseverance and a surprise postseason star.
The 49ers defense ranked No. 2 in regular season and has played terrific in their two playoff wins that have brought them to the Super Bowl where they’ll face the NFL’s best QB in Patrick Mahomes and his many weapons.
I underestimated the power of the San Fran front four led by a trio of 49er first round picks in Arik Armstead, DeForest Buckner, super rookie Nick Bosa plus trade acquisition Dee Ford (a former No. 1 pick of the Chiefs). That group sacked Kirk Cousins five times in the divisional round and another former No. 1 pick—Solomon Thomas—added a sixth sack in the 27-10 win.
They followed up by sacking Aaron Rodgers three times and forcing him into the three turnovers.
We know Zimmer loves cornerbacks so he has to be impressed with how well Richard Sherman is playing for the 49ers this postseason with an interception in each game. Sherman provides veteran leadership in the secondary similar to what the Vikings get from Harrison Smith and hoped Xavier Rhodes would provide until his play has fallen off the last two years.
Zimmer also wants to stop the run first and foremost. He’s seeing a 49ers run D that ranked No. 16 in regular season but has been outstanding the last two weeks, shutting down a pair of thousand yard rushers as Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook was held to 18 rushing yards and Green Bay’s Aaron Jones picked up just 56 yards on the ground.
Around the NFL Observations:
1.Football fans have to love this Super Bowl matchup with San Francisco’s tremendous running game and defense going against Mahomes and his high-flying Kansas City passing attack. Mahomes does such a great job escaping pressure and running for first downs. Then there was his spectacular 27 yard TD run that gave the Chiefs their first lead over the Titans in the AFC Championship. He also buys time by escaping the pass rush and then finds his talented receivers downfield.
The key factors in this matchup will be how well the 49ers can defend against Mahomes playmaking and whether the K.C. defense can contain the 49ers running attack as well as they did in holding Derrick Henry to 69 yards in the win over the Titans. And if they can control the run, we’ll see if Garoppolo can make enough plays to win the game (and I have my doubts that Jimmy G can do that).
More on Super Bowl LIV (that’s 54, folks) in next week’s column.
2. The NFL pre-draft process is underway for the April 23-25 Draft with the Senior Bowl this Saturday and the NFL Combine coming up in the last week of February in Indianapolis. Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman and his staff are likely going to be looking extra hard at the offensive linemen—particularly left tackles--and cornerbacks in this draft class since those seem to be the biggest areas of concern coming out of the playoff loss in San Francisco. The Vikings will have the No. 25 pick in the first round.
3. Congratulations to five additional Vikings players who were named this week to the NFC Pro Bowl team for the game on Sunday in Orlando. Kirk Cousins, C.J. Ham, Eric Kendricks, Everson Griffen and Xavier Rhodes are replacing injured players or 49ers who are playing in the Super Bowl. They join the three Vikings voted to the team—Harrison Smith, Danielle Hunter and Dalvin Cook. The Vikings have the second most players in the Pro Bowl behind only Baltimore (with the 49ers and Chiefs players not able to play due to Super Bowl prep).
Jeff Diamond was the NFL Executive of the Year in 1998 after the Vikings' 15-1 season. He also is former president of the Tennessee Titans. He does sports/business consulting, media and speaking work including corporate and college speaking on Negotiation, Management, Leadership and Sports Business--contact him at diamondj4@comcast.net
