49ers vs. Vikings Week 12 Live Blog

This live blog will be updated frequently with information and analysis of the 49ers' Week 12 game against the Minnesota Vikings.

SANTA CLARA -- This is the live blog for the San Francisco 49ers' Week 12 game against the Minnesota Vikings. I will update this frequently with information and analysis from the press box.

The best 49ers news often breaks Sunday morning. Today was no exception.

11:50 The NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that the 49ers plan to start Trey Lance next season and trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Which means the plan is not to keep Garoppolo and start him for another season.

“Absent a Super Bowl run, which at this point still is theoretically possible, this is the 49ers’ plan next season: Start Trey Lance, trade Jimmy Garoppolo.” pic.twitter.com/LyiOQPeFXX

— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) November 28, 2021

Rapoport: "49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan opened the door this week for Jimmy Garoppolo potentially coming back in 2022. Allow me to shut that door. Absent a Super Bowl run, which at this point still is theoretically possible, this is the 49ers' plan next season: Start Trey Lance, trade Jimmy Garoppolo. Not a surprise there -- they've been pretty upfront about that. What Garoppolo is doing now is increasing the value of picks the 49ers get in a trade involving him and making it more likely that a place he wants to go would want to take him."

This is a fascinating report, because Rapoport acknowledged that Shanahan himself opened the door to the possibility of Garoppolo returning next year. Which makes me think Rapoport's source isn't Shanahan -- it probably is someone in the front office. Maybe it's Jed York or Paraag Marathe or John Lynch. Whoever it is, it seems there might be a disagreement about the plan for 2022. Because if Shanahan doesn't think Lance is ready now, how will Shanahan determine if Lance is ready next year before he sees him in OTAs and training camp?

And how much is Garoppolo really worth in a trade? He's extremely expensive, and he'll be a free agent in 2023, so why would a team send the 49ers a high draft pick for the right to pay him big bucks for one year? Seems to me the most the 49ers will get for him is a late third rounder.

Stay tuned. This story seems far from over.

11:57 Here are the 49ers' inactives:

DT Maurice Hurst

RB JaMycal Hasty

OL Colton McKivitz

DE Jordan Willis

Here are the Vikings' inactives:

QB Kellen Mond 

WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette 

CB Harrison Hand 

LB Chazz Surratt 

CB Camryn Bynum 

G Wyatt Davis

1:24 The Vikings will receive the opening kickoff.

FIRST QUARTER

1:27 On 3rd and 6, Kirk Cousins throws an incomplete deep pass to no one, and the Vikings go three and out. I think he was throwig to Justin Jefferson, but the pass was nowhere near him. After the punt, the 49ers take over at their 29.

1:34 On 3rd and 12 from the Minnesota 47, Jimmy Garoppolo forces a pass over the middle to Deebo Samuel and gets intercepted by Harrison Smith. The Vikings still have Garoppolo's number. They take over at the 49ers 49.

1:36 Kyle Shanahan called two runs and four pases on the opening series. Bad sign. Should have been four runs and two passes.

1:42 On fourth and goal from the 2, Cousins throws a touchdown pass to Adam Thielen, who beat Jimmie Ward. Cousins had all day to throw.

49ers 0, Vikings 7.

1:51 On 1st and 10 from the Vikings 20, Garoppolo hands off to Deebo Samuel who runs around the right end for a touchdown. Shanahan called four runs and two passes during that series. Good to see he read this live blog and adjusted.

49ers 7, Vikings 7.

1:58 On 3rd and 2 from the Vikings 25, Charles Omenihu tackles Dalvin Cook for no gain, and the Vikings go three and out. The 49ers take over at their 31 after a 12-yard punt return by Brandon Aiyuk.

2:05 On 3rd and 6 from the 49ers 45, D.J. Wonnum beats Tom Compton and sacks Jimmy Garoppolo for a loss of 10, and the 49ers punt.

SECOND QUARTER

2:12 On 2nd and 4 from the 49ers 21, Talanoa Hufanga gives up a touchdown catch to Thielen. Earlier in the series, Josh Norman gave up a 30-yard catch to Jefferson. Jefferson now has 45 yards and Thielen has 55 yards and 2 touchdowns, and we're less than three minutes into the second quarter. Doesn't bode well for the 49ers.

49ers 7, Vikings 14.

2:18 On 3rd and 2 from the 49ers 33, Garoppolo floats a short pass to the sideline and the ball gets knocked down by Vikings safety Xavier Woods, and the 49ers go three and out. Garoppolo is 3 for 8, and his passer rating is 25.5.

2:27 On 1st and 10 from the Vikings 28, Nick Bosa sacks Kirk Cousins for a loss of 6, and the Vikings punt three plays later. Huge play by Bosa. The 49ers take over at their 16 after the punt.

2:49 On 1st and goal from the 3, Garoppolo rolls right and throws a touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings with 18 seconds left. 

49ers 14, Vikings 14.

THIRD QUARTER

3:11 On 2nd and 5 from the 49ers 43, Deebo Samuel runs around the right end for 49 yards. Ho, hum. Two plays later on 2nd and goal from the 4, Samuel ran around the left end for a touchdown. Samuel now has two rushing touchdowns. He has carried this team all season.

49ers 21, Vikings 14.

3:16 Cousins immediately throws a pick to Azeez Al-Shaair, who runs the ball down to the Vikings 2-yard line. Wow!! On 1st and goal from the 2, Mitchell powers into the end zone.

49ers 28, Vikings 14.

3:24 The Vikings march down the field in five plays and score a touchdown. Fortunately for the 49ers, Minnesota misses the extra point. Still, that was a pathetic series by the 49ers defense, which gave up a 30-yard run to Dalvin Cook on the first play.

49ers 28, Vikings 20.

3:33 On 3rd and 9 from the 49ers 28, Garoppolo throws an incomplete deep pass to Samuel up the right sideline. He was not open. But Robbie Gould makes a 46-yard field goal and gives the 49ers a two-score lead.

49ers 31, Vikings 20.

3:38 Kene Nwangwu returns the kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown. Then the Vikings go for 2, and Cousins one-hops a wide open Jefferson, who just watches the ball bounce in front of him.

49ers 31, Vikings 26.

3:42 Fred Warner has a hamstring injury and is quesitonable to return.

3:44 On 3rd and 9 from the 49ers 36, Jimmy Garoppolo trips over himself in the pocket and gets sacked for a loss of 5. Bad look. Then Mitch Wishnowsky punts the ball into the Vikings end zone. Terrible.

3:45 First play, Kevin Given strips the ball from Dalvin Cook and Azeez Al-Shaair recovers at the Vikings 10-yard line. What a freaking game.

3:55 On 1st and 10 from the 20, Samuel runs a sweep to his left, loses six yards and injures his groin. A few plays later the 49ers kick a field goal. The 49ers' season depends on Samuel returning.

49ers 34, Vikings 26.

4:14 On 4th and goal from the 3, Cousins throws a pass five feet over Jefferson's head. The 49ers get the ball back with 9:04 left.

4:29 Robbie Gould misses a 42-yard field goal attempt wide right.

4:32 On 4th and 8 from the 49ers 38, Cousins airmails a pass over Jefferson and the 49ers win. Stay tuned for