It may not have been a perfect night, but it sure was a great night to be a 49ers’ fan. No matter where I was in the stadium, I could feel an electricity and excitement from the fans. Last night, after all the turmoil of the offseason, the San Francisco 49ers marched onto their home field and beat the Minnesota Vikings 20-3 to start the season. And they did it on Monday Night Football, showing everyone not to write them off just yet. Carlos Hyde established himself as the future of the Niners, rushing for 168 yards and two touchdowns, the best performance by a San Francisco running back since his predecessor Frank Gore in 2009.
No doubt, Hyde, who at this moment leads the NFL in rushing, was last night’s star, but there was a lot to like at Levi’s Stadium. Eric Mangini’s defense was nothing short of fantastic, combining for five sacks on Minnesota QB Teddy Bridgewater. NaVorro Bowman is back like a boss, with seven tackles and a sack. Vikings’ RB Adrian Peterson was held to 10 carries for 31 yards. Aaron Lynch was a force to be reckoned with, and second-round pick Jaquiski Tartt made it clear that he belongs on this team, with four tackles, a sack, and a tackle for a loss, though this fan was not surprised.
Offensively, there was some good and some not so good. The offensive line looked like a different group of men on Monday night, doing a pretty awesome job with both run and pass protection. They did have a number of penalties, which is going to need to be cleaned up, but it was game one and hopefully they will settle down.
In terms of the passing game, Kaepernick went for 17-for-26 for 165 yards, while rushing for 41. Were these monster numbers? No. But did Kap look in control of the game? Yes. He didn’t make mistakes and he made plays when he needed to, really settling into the game towards the end of the first half – which was one of the ugliest halves of football I’ve ever seen – when the Niners put together their first scoring drive. If San Francisco has any hope of the postseason, those numbers need to improve and they are going to have to figure out a way to get Torrey Smith in the game, but for now, I’ll take it.
There is work to be done, but after last night, I have no doubt that San Francisco is a contender. And I also have every confidence in Head Coach Jim Tomsula and his staff. They know what they’re doing. Next up, our guys in the red and gold (and sometimes black) are off to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers on Sunday. Let’s keep this momentum going. Go Niners!
*RB Reggie Bush left the game with a calf injury, but it is not believed to be serious.
*One more note – after the game, a group of 49ers fans beat up a Vikings fan. I won’t show the video, because I don’t want them to have the attention. This behavior is disgusting and unacceptable. If you’re not mature enough to attend a game and behave appropriately, stay home. No one wants you there.
From my time at the game last night:
Me and my friend Meghan with my favorite 49er, Steve Young