[2024] VICTORY FORMATION: Explosive Offense Finds Gold in Santa Clara; Vikings hiring new offensive analyst

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QB CHRISTIAN SINNOCK STRIKES GOLD AGAINST 49ers

After a rough start to the 2024 season, the Minnesota Vikings were facing a potential trap game with the new-look Niners. For Vikings RT Herman Knott, who came over in free agency from San Francisco, this game was personal, and for the rest of the Vikings, who had been reeling since a Week 11, 2023 close win against the Chargers, this was THE chance to show the wheels hadn't completely fallen off the wagon. The Vikings had played 8 games since that game in Inglewood, losing to 7 straight NFC opponents and then the Raiders in Week 2 of this year. They'd been outscored 234-87 in that stretch, and many were questioning if the team should be looking to the future rather than to the present.

The 49ers lost Knott to the Vikings in FA, but they also made franchise altering moves, moving on from struggling QB Russell Latimer for college standout Andrew Solano, who played at TCU. They also shockingly beat the Cardinals in Week One, and despite losing 35-10 to the Bengals in Week Two, there was a lot of buzz coming into the game with the struggling Vikings. 

Minnesota's gameplan was simple, make the young QB beat them with his arm. The Vikings completely neutralized the 49ers ground game, holding rookie UDFA Mike Bates to 19 yards on 17 carries. 

Solano struggled, going 12/33 for 94 yards and an INT, but where the Vikings stood out, was on the offensive side of the ball. The storyline all week had been "how will Solano do against the Vikings defense", which had allowed 35ppg to the Eagles and Raiders to start the year, along with 437.5 passing yards per game. Instead, fans were treated to a Vikings offense ripping off explosive plays.

The Vikings very first play was a 37 yard strike from Sinnock to FA-signee TE Michael Vega, which quickly silenced the SF crowd. A few minutes later, Sinnock would find speedy slot receiver Adrian Daniels for 28 yards on 3rd and 13, dropping a rainbow of a ball in right over 49er Everardo Gastelum, who had to make a diving catch to grasp Daniels ankles, preventing a 1-man footrace to the end zone. One play later, though, Sinnock was again going up top, dropping a 26 yarder to Alex Williams III, who was waiting wide open in the end zone. 

Overall, Sinnock would complete 9 passes for 20 or more yards in the game, including all 3 of his touchdown passes. It was just Sinnock's 6th game (through 37 starts) where he's thrown 3 or more TD passes, and just the 13th time he's crossed the 300 yard threshold. 

For Alex Williams III, it was his first ever multi-TD game, following a slow start to the former #7 overall pick's career. Adrian Daniels finished the game with 155 receiving yards, showing off a deep ball threat that could be lethal against the right defenses. 

It wasn't all passing game, though. RB Aldrick Ynoa had caught a 24 yard pass on the 2nd Quarter's final play, selling a play action hard, then leaking down the sideline and barely being caught by FS Mike Barr on a touchdown saving tackle. And 2nd Round selection Yogi Oladipo, who has seen a few reps but still not really eaten into Ynoa's carries, ripped off a massive 36 yard carry in the game's 3rd quarter.

That drive, however, resulted in a Sinnock INT when intending to go deep for Daniels. But, inspired by Oladipo's energy on his massive run, the Vikings defense held the Niners, and then WR/ST Kaleb Lunsford - who was originally a 2022 Vikings UDFA, who then was out of football last year, blocked a 49ers punt! The Vikings sideline was jubilant, and the offense put together a quick drive culminating in a Sinnock to Daniels connection for a 30 yard TD!

 

VIKINGS MAKE MID-SEASON COACHING MOVE, HIRE OFFENSIVE ANALYST

Despite the Vikings success in their game with the 49ers, they've still shown massive areas that need improving, notably in the ground game. Aldrick Ynoa rushed for 1k last year, the first Viking to ever do so, but this year he's only totaled 162 yards through 3 games, which would fall short of a back-to-back 1k season. The Vikings have invested heavily in the RB position, drafting multiple 3rd round RBs, a 6th, and now Oladipo in the 2nd, and they seemingly really want to focus on establishing a running threat to take some heat off of Sinnock. 

Recently job-searching coach Thomas Hallbrender has been brought in to the Vikings offensive staff to help the ground game. In Week 2 against Pittsburgh, his QB rushed for 154 yards and a TD on 7.33 yards per carry. Last year, he helped RB Pat Flexen to a 1,680 yard, 12 TD rookie season, along with 79 receptions for 509 yards.

The Vikings are bringing Hallbrender in to Minnesota as the RBs coach/Run Game Coordinator.