Vikings preparing 'physically, more than anything' for the 49ers

O'Connell talked about how he's utilizing the extra day of prep he has over the 49ers.

Sep 8, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell looks on before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Coming off an impressive season-opening win over the New York Giants, the Vikings were gifted by the scheduling gods a one-day advantage in preparation for their tough matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, who beat the New York Jets Monday night. The Vikings coaching staff is using that extra time to get the players' bodies ready for a physical battle coming up on Sunday.

"We have 24 hours extra, really more than that, for our guys to turn over physically because we're going to need to be ready to go physically more than anything against this outfit," Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told Paul Allen Tuesday in appearance on KFXN-FM 100.3. "Kyle (Shanahan)'s team is as physical as they come."

Under Shanahan, the 49ers have been perennial contenders in the NFC, making the NFC Championship game in four of the past five seasons while being one of the most physically imposing teams in the league. San Francisco has sported a top-10 defense each of the past five seasons.

While Minnesota may have been able to watch its next opposition Monday night, O'Connell noted that both teams start their weeks on the same day.

"It works both ways as far as the preparation goes because no matter what, we're all going to have Wednesday as the start of our preparation," O'Connell told Allen. "It just so happens our players were off today. Their players are off today but they played a football game last night."

O'Connell did say he used the opportunity to watch the 49ers on Monday Night Football to verify some of the things they had already prepared on their opposition.

"What we had built previously leading into yesterday, that's what I was watching in real time, but I also had the game on in real time," O'Connell said. "It's always a unique thing when the team you're playing, and you've already started your preparation, they're on the television playing a live football game.

"I found myself seeing something on the TV copy of the game happening live, and going and checking, 'Hey let me see that formation. Let me see that personnel grouping. What (down and distance) was it? What can I pull out of that in real time, to help me not have to manage the whole load of a game day preparation, starting today?' So, we got off to a good start last night."