What to Expect From the 49ers Preseason Game Against the Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers travel to Minnesota this week for their second preseason game.

Prior to Saturday, the Red & Gold joined the Vikings for joint practices Wednesday and Thursday, both sides eager to run the playbook against an opposing NFC team. The trip also serves as a bit of a homecoming for second-year quarterback Trey Lance, growing up three hours away in Marshall, Minn. Nevertheless, the time for a reunion will have to wait, as both the players and coaching staff are locked in on the upcoming season.

“I was excited for sure,” Lance said Wednesday. “I get to see my family, see some friends but I mean it’s work at this point.”

But while Lance will likely not be seeing any game time this weekend (head coach Kyle Shanahan announced last week) here’s what to look out for against the Vikings Saturday, on Saturday, Aug. 20th.

The Sudfeld & Purdy Show 

With Lance not likely to suit up, whose going under center for the 49ers?

Well, look no further than backups Nate Sudfeld and Brock Purdy to lead the charge Saturday night. Sudfeld got most of the reps after Lance’s brief appearances in the first quarter of week one’s win against the Green Bay Packers.

He immediately dropped a 39-yard bomb to WR Ray-Ray McCloud for a touchdown. The speedy receiver did most of the work, leaving his man in the dust on a post route before the veteran QB could drop it in the bread basket for the easy score. Sudfeld finished the day 8 for 11 with 103 passing yards and one TD.

Tyler Kroft running the dig is the first read in the progression, but Nate Sudfeld is able to quickly identify the alert vs quarters and fires a strike to Ray-Ray McCloud on the post for a TD pic.twitter.com/sfZpFJIuIv

— Jordan Elliott (@JLeeElliott) August 18, 2022

After that, the game seemed to flip towards Green Bay, taking the lead early in the fourth quarter. But not so fast as Iowa State rookie Brock Purdy came on and took control of the contest, driving his offense down the field on an 11-play, 69-yard drive, capping it off with a rollout to his right, finding TE Tanner Hudson for the five-yard score and the lead.

Despite being a newcomer in the league, Purdy has garnered quite a few fans among the 49ers brass, including All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner, joining in on the celebrations after the QB’s first NFL TD last Friday.

First NFL TD for @brockpurdy13!

📺 #GBvsSF KPIX pic.twitter.com/nhtIPTIpyf

— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) August 13, 2022

“Man, I could go on and on about Purdy,” an elated Warner said in the locker room postgame. “You know, I think some guys just have the it-factor and he got it. I’m a big Purdy fan.”

The rookie finished the night 3 for 6 with 36 passing yards and the game-winning touchdown. We’ll have to see what Shanahan does with reps Saturday afternoon, but expect both to be heavily involved in the game-plan.

More Touches For The 49ers Running Backs 

Another group of players expected to get opportunities is the young running backs. Week 1 of the preseason featured two rookie backs for the 49ers: Ty Davis-Price and Jordan Mason, both with impressive moments in the game. One player that is in doubt of missing the game is second-year RB Trey Sermon. Images after practice Thursday showed a hobbled Sermon walking gingerly off the field, grabbing at his right foot/ankle. There is no official word on his status but it would not be a surprise to see the two rookies get more of a run in this one, especially with Sermon possibly in street clothes.

Davis-Price, a rookie out of LSU, had the most touches out of any running back last Friday, carrying the ball 10 times for 36 yards. Holes were quick to close for the hard-nosed rookie, eventually breaking off a nice gain of 10 yards, using a cutback to put a seeking Packer in the spin cycle.

Mason, an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Tech, didn’t get any run until the fourth quarter but nevertheless made the most of it, finishing with six carries for 30 yards. While his longest gain only went for nine yards, he was very effective in his limited action, possibly prompting more of a look against Minnesota.

All Tyrion Davis-Price and Jordan Mason touches.
Preseason Week 1 pic.twitter.com/2tH9TRQDEa

— Zareh Kantzabedian (@ZKantzFF) August 17, 2022

“I think the running backs ran really hard,” Warner said last week. “And that’s exactly what Kyle wants, you know, he wants them to turn out the tough yards. When they make contact with the defender, how much more can they get after that, you know, and so I think that all those guys have the right mindset.”

Kickoff from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis is set for 4 p.m. PST Saturday.

For all things 49ers and NFL, stay locked in here on Sactown Sports.

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