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Vikings Will be Without Key WR Against the 49ers in Week 2

The Vikings won't have this key wide receiver on hand when they face the 49ers in Week 2.

Jose Luis Sanchez III

Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) runs with the ball as San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) pursues during the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) runs with the ball as San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (54) pursues during the game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
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Defending against the Minnesota Vikings just became easier for the San Francisco 49ers.

Second-year wide receiver Jordan Addison is officially ruled out with an ankle injury. Addison sustained the injury in the Vikings Week 1 victory against the New York Giants. He caught three passes for 35 yards in that matchup.

With Addison out, the 49ers can place the entirety of their focus on star receiver Justin Jefferson. That probably was going to be their game plan anyway. However, when the 49ers faced the Vikings last year, it was Addison who completely gashed them.

Jefferson was inactive due to a hamstring injury at the time, which pushed Addison as the lead receiver. He decimated the 49ers with seven catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns. If the 49ers were to place all the focus on Jefferson, then they risk Addison creating havoc again.

The only reason to believe that it wouldn't happen is because of the quarterback. The Vikings had Kirk Cousins last year and he went ballistic against the 49ers. Cousins completed 35-of-45 passes for 378 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

This time around the 49ers will defend against a familiar face. Sam Darnold is the starting quarterback of the Vikings this year. That familiarity will benefit the 49ers greatly. Plus, there is a drastic drop-off in talent from Cousins to Darnold.

Defending against Darnold should be easier than it was with Addison out. All the 49ers have to do is take away Jefferson and it will leave Darnold as a sitting duck. The secondary of the 49ers is extremely skilled this year, so they can do it. The pass rush should flourish as a result of the coverage.

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Jose Luis Sanchez III
JOSE LUIS SANCHEZ III

Jose Luis Sanchez III has covered the San Francisco 49ers daily for FanNation since 2019. He started off as the lead publisher for FanNation's All49ers, then switched positions to become the Deputy Editor in 2020. Sanchez writes, edits, and produces videos daily for All49ers. He also co-hosts a show on YouTube with All49ers lead publisher Grant Cohn weekly. Prior to FanNation, Sanchez started his writing career back in 2016 for the school newspaper at Skyline college where he covered all sports team in the Bay Area. Following that from 2017 to 2019, he found a role as a contributor for FanSided's news desk along with their site's Just Blog Baby covering the Las Vegas Raiders and Golden Gate Sports every professional Bay Area sports team. Atop all of that, he was able to graduate with a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies at San Francisco State University in 2020. Sanchez is committed to ensuring he delivers transparent analysis and straightforward opinions that resonates with readers to get them thinking.

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