49ers are back on Prime Time
The San Francisco 49ers return to prime time as they head to Minneapolis, Minnesota to take on the Minnesota Vikings. The 49ers will be going into this with a number of injury questions and also looking for quarterback Brock Purdy to check another box in his career. Troy Aikman and Joe Buck will be calling this game, unless you decide to head to the Manningcast on ESPN2.
The 49ers return from their first loss against the Cleveland Browns. The Browns defense made things difficult for Kyle Shanahan’s offense and young quarterback Brock Purdy. Things got worse when Deebo Samuel, Christian McCaffrey, and Trent Williams all went out at certain periods in the game. The 49ers had a chance to win it late thanks to a downfield march from Purdy, but Moody missed a kick the wind got a grip of.
The injuries mentioned above are still lingering. Christian McCaffrey has a slight oblique tear he’s dealing with but is expected to play. Deebo Samuel has a hairline fracture in his shoulder and will be missing the game. Trent Williams is doubtful as of this writing. All of it is going to lead to one of the big questions surrounding Brock Purdy: Can he play without his elite weapons/protection? One of the many lazy takes has been that Brock Purdy has been successful due to the offense around him. Beating the Vikings handily can help put an end to that narrative.
The Vikings have had issues of their own. It’s shaping up to be the final year of quarterback Kirk Cousins in the gold and purple as he’ll be going into free agency at the conclusion of the season. Many have speculated Cousins may be traded, but his no-trade clause in his contract can prevent that. The Vikings have some very nice offensive weapons, but keeping the team together as the rebuild the defense and continue filling things out will be a huge jump.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson is going to be due a mega-contract at some point and then some decisions will need to be made. Running back Dalvin Cook has already departed in the offseason and more are probably on the way.
For the Vikings injuries they will be without guard Ezra Cleveland. This will end a streak of 43-straight starts for the guard and also a good opportunity for the 49ers defensive line.
Date: Monday, October 23rd, 2023
Kickoff: 5:15 PM PST, 8:15 PM EST
Location: US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Network: ESPN/ESPN2
Play-by-Play: Joe Buck
Color Analyst: Troy Aikman
Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
SB Nation Affiliate: Daily Norseman
Odds: 49ers at -7
Total: 43.5
For more betting information, please visit DraftKings Sportsbook.
About the Author: Insidethe49
