San Francisco 49ers: missed opportunities in a Week One loss

The San Francisco 49ers were underdogs in their week one matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, but they had their chances to pull an upset.

The San Francisco 49ers had a big challenge to start the 2018 season – play their first game on the road against one of the toughest defenses in the Minnesota Vikings.

In addition, the 49ers were without their starting running back Jerick McKinnon, who was lost for the season due to a torn ACL in the preseason.

So while the eventual 24-16 loss to the Vikings was in some ways predictable, the 49ers missed some golden opportunities that could have swung the result the other way.

The Niners can learn from these mistakes as they prepare to meet the Detroit Lions at home next week.

1. Alfred Morris fumbles near the goal line

Down 10-3 late in the second quarter, the 49ers’ Alfred Morris fumbled near the goal line but managed to recover the ball.

On the very next play, Morris fumbled again, this time turning it over to Minnesota and killing an otherwise impressive 14-play drive.

Morris had carried the ball on three consecutive plays as the Niners seemed insistent on playing smash-mouth football with the Vikings on this drive. A little more creative red zone play-calling would have been welcomed here.

2. George Kittle drops a wide open pass

Early in the third quarter, 49er George Kittle dropped a wide open 30-yard pass from quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo.

The second-year tight end had gotten behind the defense and was looking at nothing but fake grass and a potential score. Instead, on the very next play, Garoppolo threw a pick-six as Niners wide receiver Kendrick Bourne fell down.

Those two plays represented a 14-point swing. Instead of a tied ball game, the 49ers were now down 17-3.

3. Jimmy Garoppolo misses Pierre Garcon in the end zone

On the next drive, Garappolo had Pierre Garcon open in the end zone but delivered the ball late. Garcon got his hands on the ball, but the late throw allowed the Vikings secondary to recover and break up the play.

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Instead of coming away with a touchdown, San Francisco had to settle for a field goal.

4. Jimmy Garoppolo misses Kittle in the end zone

The Niners managed to keep the game within reach in the fourth quarter. Down 24-13, Garappolo had Kittle wide open in the end zone but threw the ball way over his head.

Again, the 49ers had to settle for a field goal — a recurring theme throughout the preseason and now, in Week One. Given that the San Francisco 49ers lost by one score, these multiple missed opportunities were a major disappointment.

Yes, Jimmy Garoppolo had a rough afternoon, going 15-33 for 261 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions, but converting on some of the opportunities noted above would have dramatically changed his stats and the outcome of the game.

Garoppolo did show flashes of brilliance, including connecting on a beautiful 22-yard pass play to a lunging Dante Pettis in the corner of the end zone for the 49ers’ only touchdown.

The good news is that the San Francisco rookies Pettis, linebacker Fred Warner, and offensive lineman Mike McGlinchey played solidly in their debut. Defensive lineman DeForest Buckner was impressive, contributing 2.5 sacks.

Next. San Francisco 49ers: the good, bad, and ugly in week one loss to the Vikings. dark

Coach Kyle Shanahan will try to get his San Francisco 49ers to show more consistency in their execution. As a young team, their margin for error is small against the better teams in the NFL.

San Francisco 49ers: Missed opportunities in a week one loss

By Frank Yien | Sep 11, 2018