Hey guys, welcome to what I hope to become a weekly fixture on the site, where we take a brief moment to look elsewhere in the NFL and preview the best game not involving a certain team wearing red and gold.
My pick for this week is last year’s runners-up in the NFC, the Minnesota Vikings, facing off the strong finishing San Francisco 49ers.
The Teams
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings come into this season looking to go one step further than they managed last year, and do so with a new Quarterback at the helm. Kirk Cousins made the move over from the Washington Redskins in the offseason and did so with the first fully-guaranteed contract in NFL history. He should prove to be an upgrade at the games most important position over, the now-Bronco, Case Keenum. With Dalvin Cook also returning from an injury that ruled him out of the large majority of last season, the Vikings offense looks to be potentially even more dangerous than last year. Their defense should continue to be one of the strongest units in the league and cause opposition offenses nightmares.
San Francisco 49ers
On the other side, a revitalised San Francisco 49ers team come into this game looking to prove to their doubters that their five-game winning streak to end the season was no mere fluke. The man who brought around their turnaround, QB Jimmy Garoppolo, is going to be leaned on again to help continue the 49ers offensive revival, especially after the loss of RB Jerick McKinnon to a season-ending injury. The big question on defense is whether their young d-line can take a step forward this year, and whether offseason acquisition Richard Sherman can find a return to his pre-Achilles injury form, because if not, the 49ers could be in for a tough time of it on defense.
Where to Watch?
The game is live on Sky at 6pm on Sunday evening, so be sure to tune in before the Chiefs kick-off their season later in the day in Los Angeles against the Chargers
Prediction
I think the Vikings defense will prove to be a little too strong for the 49ers to handle, and my preseason picks for the Super Bowl will hand Jimmy G his first defeat as an NFL quarterback.
27-17 Vikings
