The Minnesota Vikings will travel to Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, Jan. 11, 2020 to face the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Divisional Round game in which the 49ers lead the all-time playoff series 4-1, including winning the last three meetings between the teams. In all-time history between the two teams, including playoff games, the series is tied 23-23-1 and the Vikings have won the last four of five games. San Francisco’s playoff record is 30-20, the team is 4-2 against common opponents, and Kyle Shanahan is 0-1 versus Minnesota and 0-0 in playoff play as this his debut playoff game as the 49ers head coach. San Francisco is heavily favored to win Saturday’s matchup with a 66.1 percent win probability.
2019 Season in Review
The 49ers won the NFC West for the first time since 2012 and this season was the first time since 2011 the team won 13 or more games. San Francisco led the NFC in total defense and ranked third in the conference in scoring defense in addition to leading the NFC in points per game and ranking fourth in the NFL in total offensive yards per game. The 49ers ranked third in the NFC in takeaways and led the league with 21 forced fumbles in the 2019 season.
San Francisco comes into the Divisional Round 13-3 on the season and earned a bye in the first week of the postseason. Jimmy Garoppolo has 329 of 476 pass completions for 3,978 yards, 27 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for a 102 rating for the regular season. Raheem Mostert led the team with 137 carries for 772 yards and eight touchdowns, while George Kittle recorded 85 receptions for 1,053 yards and eight touchdowns. Arik Armstead lead the team with 10 sacks, Richard Sherman with three interceptions, and Robbie Gould added 110 points in the regular season only missing one PAT, going 41 of 42, and putting 23 of 31 field goal attempts through the posts.
2019 Season Notables
On Saturday, Garoppolo will make his first career postseason start. His 3,978 passing yards for the season are the most by a San Francisco quarterback since Jeff Garcia in 2000. He also was one of five NFC quarterbacks with at least a 100 rating and joined Hall of Famers Joe Montana and Steve Young as the only 49er’s quarterbacks since 1950 with a 100-plus rating.
Mostert had eight touchdowns in the last six regular season games, tied for the most in the league, and he is going for his seventh game in a row with a rushing touchdown.
Kittle is ranked third among tight ends in receiving yards, fourth in receptions and recorded five receiving touchdowns in 2019. Kittle has 2,945 career receiving yards and surpassed Hall of Famer Mike Ditka for the most receiving yards by a tight end in his first three seasons in NFL history. In Kittle’s last five games at home, he has recorded 298 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns and hopes to extend this streak.
Rookie Deebo Samuel is ranked fourth among rookies in catches and receiving yards and posted three games with at least 100 receiving yards which is the most by a rookie in the franchise history. Samuel has been a monumental addition to this year’s squad as a second round draft pick.
Nick Bosa, also a rookie, posted an impressive 16 tackles for loss in 2019 and tied for the most among rookies across the league. The 10 sacks Armstead posted is his career high. Fred Warner was one of two linebackers with 100 or more tackles, three or more sacks and three forced fumbles in the 2019 season.
The 49ers are as healthy as they have been since the beginning of the season with Kwon Alexander being activated off of the injured reserve list on Friday and the only other player on the injury report, Dee Ford, is listed as questionable, but is expected to play. San Francisco is coming into this matchup 13-3 on the season with a week of rest since they earned a bye in the last regular season game and the momentum of being the top seed in the NFC West; the Vikings’ offense and defense is going to have play well on both sides of the field to upset the favored 49ers in this game.
Everything you need to know ahead of the first-ever home playoff game at @LevisStadium presented by @SAPSports ⬇️
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) January 11, 2020
