The San Francisco 49ers are set to host the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Divisional Round on Saturday in the first-ever playoff game at Levi's® Stadium. The 49ers are the NFC's top seed, but where do members of the media rank them among the remaining eight playoff teams? Here's what the media are saying about the 49ers and where the Vikings sit ahead of Saturday's Divisional Round clash.
"George Kittle emerged as a superstar this season, and you get the feeling a huge performance in the playoffs could turn the tight end into a household name. On Saturday, watch how Kittle affects the game even when he's not being targeted as a pass catcher. His blocking ability is inching toward legendary status -- he truly is the evolutionary answer to Rob Gronkowski (Kittle would make a better pro wrestler, too). On the other side of the ball, the 49ers could get a huge lift on defense with the potential return of Kwon Alexander. The linebacker has been out since Halloween with a pec tear, the same injury that J.J. Watt successfully returned from in the Wild Card Round. Alexander is a tackling machine in the run game, which just so happens to be the biggest weakness of San Francisco's defense. The Niners surrendered more than 100 yards on the ground in all but four games this season."
Vikings Ranking: No. 5
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"The 49ers have been battle-tested both at home and on the road going into the playoffs. They barely lost to the Ravens, edged the Saints and rolled the Packers. Their offense is hard to defend with Jimmy Garoppolo having his full complement of weapons, and a strong defense at every level should be healthier starting in the Divisional Round.
It would be no surprise if there's a Week 13 and Super Bowl 47 rematch between the Ravens and 49ers as the seeds correctly suggest."
Vikings Ranking: No. 9 (List created on Jan. 3, 2020)
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"2019 has demonstrated that Shanahan and general manager John Lynch did indeed have a plan. The offense is innovative and loaded with skill-position talent. The defense is terrifying up front and as stout overall as any in the league.
Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who joined the 49ers via a midseason trade, is one of the few players on San Francisco's roster with significant postseason experience. He told Josh Dubow of the Associated Press (via SF Gate) that he believes the 49ers have everything it takes to make it all the way to Miami and win Super Bowl LIV.
'They were already 7-0 before I got here, so I knew it was a good team,' Sanders said. 'When I got here, and being part of two Super Bowl teams, one loss and one win, I know what the DNA looks like, I know what the chemistry looks like, and I knew that they had it over here from the head coach and the GM to the quarterback to the players, the special teams players, the role players, and everything. I was excited, but I knew that we had a lot of big games. On paper it looks good, but we still have to put it together.'
As if the 49ers needed any more help, they're about to receive some. San Francisco is already the NFC's best team. The defense is about to get a little bit better since linebacker Kwon Alexander is expected to return from a torn pectoral muscle he suffered in October. Alexander's return is key for the 49ers upcoming matchup against the Minnesota Vikings because he's an athletic sideline-to-sideline defender who will significantly help against the Vikings zone running attack."
Vikings Ranking: No. 5
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"We have poked and prodded the 49ers for their faults all year, but they gutted out a 26-21 win over the Seahawks in Week 17 to acquire a first-round bye and finished with a 13-3 record. They have great running backs, great wide receivers and a great defense -- it seems like it's all going to come down to if Jimmy Garoppolo can get the job done with the stakes higher than ever. He got better as the season progressed, and he completed 74.3 percent of his passes for 349 yards, four touchdowns and one interception in the statement win over the Saints in Week 14. He also played well during the win in Seattle last week, and he completed a season-high 81.8 percent of his passes for 285 yards. It seems like he understands when to rely on his play-makers and when he needs to shoulder the load, which is important for this team if they want to make the Super Bowl. Additionally, defenses still win championships, and the 49ers allowed just 281.8 yards per game in the regular season. That's second in the league behind the Patriots."
Vikings Ranking: No. 5
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