Five 49ers to watch in ‘Monday Night Football' clash vs. Vikings

Five 49ers to watch in ‘Monday Night Football' clash vs. Vikings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

MINNEAPOLIS — The Philadelphia Eagles and Seattle Seahawks kept the pressure on the 49ers with victories on Sunday.

Now, it’s up to the 49ers to stay on equal footing with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC, while maintaining their one-game lead over the Seahawks in the division.

The 49ers (5-1) are back in action against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night, eight days after falling from the ranks of the unbeaten with a 19-17 loss at the Cleveland Browns.

Rookie kicker Jake Moody will not have to deal with any elements with the game being played inside a dome.

And the 49ers’ goal is for this game to not come down to a last-second field-goal attempt against the 2-4 Vikings.

Here are five 49ers to watch in this prime-time matchup:

5, C Jake Brendel

The 49ers saw a lot of five- and six-man pressures in Week 3 against the New York Giants.

Now, they are facing the team that has brought more blitzes than any other team in the league up to this point of the season. That means a busy night for center Jake Brendel, whose job includes getting the offensive line working together.

“We know their tendencies and what they’ve done in the past,” Brendel said. “Obviously, they always have a flavor of the week they bring into games against us, so we just have to be ready to make those in-game decisions, those in-game adjustments.”

The task gets a little more difficult for the 49ers’ offensive line with All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams out with an ankle sprain. Third-year player Jaylon Moore is scheduled to make his sixth career start.

The 49ers know Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores likes to dial up high-risk, high-reward blitzes. And that could lead to big plays — for either team.

“Whenever you bring a lot of pressure, that puts a lot of stress on the secondary to be the erasers of their defense to make sure there are no explosive plays,” Brendel said.

4, S Talanoa Hufanga

Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins has gotten off to another strong start with 14 touchdown passes and just four interceptions through six games.

Meanwhile, the 49ers’ defense has some things to clean up after their loss to the Browns.

Safety Talanoa Hufanga has two interceptions through six games, and is looking for more of those game-changing types of plays.

He must be on his game, both in pass coverage and in run support, in order for the 49ers to put the clamps on a Vikings offense that has struggled to move the ball consistently this season.

3, TE George Kittle

Tight end George Kittle has thrived in prime-time games, catching 15 touchdown passes in 21 career games under the lights.

“Knowing the lights are on, it’s really fun, it’s really easy to get your switch flipped,” Kittle said. “It’s usually pretty easy for me, anyway.”

The 49ers will certainly try to mix things up against the Vikings’ aggressive defense. On any given pass play, Kittle’s assignment will be worth watching.

Does he stay in to block, perhaps, helping out Moore? Or will coach Kyle Shanahan try to get him into the pattern to create opportunities for big plays?

2, LB Fred Warner

This is another big opportunity for 49ers linebacker Fred Warner to push his name forward in the discussion for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

The last time the 49ers appeared on prime time, he came through with a huge showing against the Dallas Cowboys.

On this night, Warner will face multiple challenges, most notably when in coverage against their biggest threat, tight end T.J. Hockenson.

With wide receiver Justin Jefferson out, the Vikings will feature Hockenson in the passing game. He has 36 receptions for 304 yards and two touchdowns.

The 49ers have to tighten up their run defense, and Warner is a big part of that, as well.

Alexander Mattison is Minnesota’s top back with 320 yards on the ground. The Vikings will mix in Cam Akers, whom they recently acquired from the Los Angeles Rams.

1, QB Brock Purdy

This qualifies as the first opportunity for a bounce-back game in Brock Purdy’s young career.

Purdy and the 49ers’ offense struggled in the Week 6 loss to the Cleveland Browns. The 49ers’ offense found themselves in a lot of disadvantageous down-and-distance situations due to penalties and other negative plays.

Purdy will have to be sharp to recognize the Vikings’ blitz packages and get the ball out quickly. And that will be a little more difficult on Monday night without the services of wide receiver Deebo Samuel.

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