Vikings defense wins ‘12-round title fight’ against potent 49ers offense

The Vikings defense felt like they made a statement during Sunday’s 23-17 victory over the San Francisco 49ers.

That statement: these Vikings have a “special” defense that can play bully ball just like the reigning NFC champions.

“The game plan was simple, believe it or not,” safety Camryn Bynum said. “We didn’t send a lot of pressure. We didn’t do a lot of stuff we normally do, but it was really just a mindset. We know the resume they have of being a big, physical team trying to really run the ball heavy and muscle their way through people. That was our mindset: we have to bring it to them.”

The defense delivered the knockout blow of a heavyweight fight, stalling the 49ers offense at the goal line to force a field goal and a failed onside kick in the closing minutes.

The Vikings’ final tally of disruption — eight tackles for losses, six pass deflections (one interception) and six sacks — spelled a sputtering afternoon for a 49ers offense that mustered just 17 points despite gaining 399 yards.

Safety Josh Metellus said there was “nothing complicated on the menu” but brute force.

“We just wanted to be the most physical team,” Metellus said. “Stop the run, almost even sold out on it playing – like that’s what they like to do, this is what we like to do: playing physical. We like to go downhill and not think about anything else. We knew it was going to be a 12-round title fight.”

Mission accomplished as far as winning. But 49ers running back Jordan Mason still gained 100 yards on 20 carries. The Vikings defense was on the field for nearly 35 of 60 game minutes, testing the depth. They passed that test, too, while cycling through reserves like edge rusher Patrick Jones II, who had two of the six sacks.

Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel nearly had another interception, deflecting 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy’s final pass that was caught by receiver Deebo Samuel for a loss of 9 yards.

“I think we’re special,” Van Ginkel said. “From front end to back end, we got guys all over the place that can make plays. We got a Hall of Famer [safety Harrison Smith] in the back, we just re-signed [Harrison Phillips] up front. Just across the board, we got playmakers. We have depth. The sky’s the limit for us.”

The 49ers didn’t get points on the board until after the two-minute warning before halftime, when Purdy found tight end George Kittle for a 7-yard touchdown on a screen pass. The Vikings stalled two previous 49ers drives that marched into Minnesota territory with fourth-down stops and turnovers on downs.

In the third quarter, linebacker Blake Cashman, who finished with 13 tackles and three pass deflections, tipped a Purdy pass over the middle. The ball bounced between Cashman’s fingertips to Metellus’ hands and into Bynum’s grip. But Bynum lost it, and Metellus was there to land the interception.

“I broke and the next thing I know the ball tipped 15 times,” Metellus said. “I’m like, ‘Woah, woah, woah, where the ball at?’ Boom, it’s in my hands.”

“They was getting after the quarterback,” Metellus added. “Purdy was rattled, you could tell in the back end, not trusting his throws.”

Six Vikings defenders levied a hit on Purdy, who turned the ball over on back-to-back drives when Vikings edge rusher Jihad Ward caused a sack fumble in the third quarter. Cashman also got a sack in the Vikings’ dominant third quarter when he called a defensive audible, which are common in coordinator Brian Flores’ scheme, to run a twist with edge rusher Dallas Turner.

That kind of showing against a Super Bowl-caliber offense “wakes people up,” Cashman said.

“The thing now is,” Cashman said, “you just have to stay consistent and continue to be a fast, confident defense.”