Five extra points: Vikings backups, Brian Flores, C.J. Ham bamboozle 49ers in upset win

A tight trips right bunch formation featuring backup Vikings receivers Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell and Trishton Jackson bamboozled the 49ers on third-and-7 with 8:59 left in a six-point game. Instead of going three-and-out, Powell’s 11-yard reception on his first target of the year sparked a 14-play drive, a field goal and a 23-17 win. “We practiced that play all week, and we all can run it,” Powell said. Top receivers Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson were out. No problem. Nailor was the inside receiver but motioned outside to expose man coverage and “basically cause confusion,” Powell said. Powell looped outside at the snap and … “the 49ers totally screwed that whole play up. They didn’t know who was going where.”

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores owned 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan on third down (2 for 10) by using a race car package of four edge rushers up front on eight of 10 plays. “We got five great backers who can rush,” said one of them, Andrew Van Ginkel. “Just rotate them, stay fresh and keep hunting the quarterback.” Van Ginkel sometimes lined up at right tackle, running inside stunts with Jihad Ward and Pat Jones II (two sacks). Other times, he lined up at left end. Van Ginkel had a sack, a tipped pass on a fourth-and-goal stop at the 1, and almost had his second interception of the season on a point-blank throw on third-and-1 at the Vikings 4. “Gink’s just different, man,” Jones said. Van Ginkel: “Just allowing myself to play fast.”

C.J. Ham had never blocked a punt from Pop Warner through the first quarter of his 120th NFL game. That changed with 7:04 left in the first quarter. Lined up across from the right tackle, Ham rushed inside while Theo Jackson looped outside. That helped create a crease big enough for the 250-pound fullback to beeline his way to the punter. “I’m not a skinny guy, but I was able to get skinny,” Ham said. “After that, it was just, ‘Don’t miss the opportunity.’” Theo Jackson scooped the ball and raced 37 yards to set up a field goal and a 3-0 lead.

Sam Darnold’s best throw was a bullet over the middle that zipped past linebacker Fred Warner to Jefferson for a 16-yard gain on third-and-13 with 18 seconds left in the first half. “We understood that Fred was going to buzz out a little bit to leave a little space for that throw,” Jefferson said. “Sam put in on my outside shoulder.” The throw came three passes after Warner’s interception jump-started the 49ers, and seconds before the Vikings closed the half with a field goal. It was Jefferson’s only target on seven third downs he played. Six were called passes. Darnold converted two of them with runs of 16 and 18 yards but also threw incomplete twice and was sacked.

Shanahan and his 49ers are second to none in physicality and aggressiveness. Kevin O’Connell and the Vikings matched them. Shanahan’s first gamble – going for it on fourth-and-3 at midfield – paid off. The next two fourth-down gambles failed. O’Connell’s gutsiest decision was the deep ball to Jefferson. Against one of the best pass rushes in football, Darnold was 3 yards deep in his end zone when he threw the ball 55 yards in the air on Jefferson’s 97-yard score. “Sometimes, teams play conservative; we did that last week,” Darnold said. “But for KO to call that … it shows the trust they have in me.” A tad too much sometimes – see Darnold’s red-zone pick after three straight Ty Chandler runs for 37 yards – but, hey, nobody’s perfect, eh?