49ers-Vikings Preview

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• Countdown Daily Recap: 49ers-Vikings

SCOUTING REPORT

49ers-Vikings: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's 49ers-Vikings matchup. 1. How effective will the 49ers' eight-man front be? Look for the 49ers to stick with their eight-man front for the entire game as long as it is close. In Week 2, Detroit's defense did a nice job with the eight-man box versus Minnesota in the first half but got away from it once it fell behind. When Vikings QB Brett Favre sees the seven-man box, he'll call an automatic audible to the run. He did that against the Lions.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
SFO	4-6	208	210	3-2	1-4	3-0	4-3
MIN	9-1	306	193	5-0	4-1	4-0	7-0
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

San Francisco Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Smith 61.3 1035 9 7 Hill 56.1 943 5 2

Minnesota Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Favre 69.7 2482 21 3 Jackso... 66.7 159 1 0

San Francisco Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Gore 112 610 5.4 6 Coffee 75 198 2.6 1

Minnesota Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Peters... 205 999 4.9 11 Taylor 63 212 3.4 1

San Francisco Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Davis 51 601 11.8 8 Morgan 24 305 12.7 1

Minnesota Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Rice 50 875 17.5 4 Harvin 36 501 13.9 4

Full Player Stats: San Francisco | Minnesota

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	SFO	279.0
	MIN	375.0
Yards Passing	SFO	179.5
	MIN	249.1
Yards Rushing	SFO	99.0
	MIN	126.2
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	SFO	350.8
	MIN	317.0
Pass Yds Allowed	SFO	256.1
	MIN	231.5
Rush Yds Allowed	SFO	94.7
	MIN	85.5

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Minnesota leads 3-1
Dec 9, 2007	SFO 7, @MIN 27
Nov 5, 2006	SFO 9, @MIN 3
Sep 28, 2003	SFO 7, MIN 35

Considering their first two opponents, the Minnesota Vikings haven't shocked too many observers by opening the season with two wins.

The San Francisco 49ers, however, may have surprised some by starting 2-0.

The only Week 3 matchup between unbeaten teams also features Brett Favre's regular-season home debut for the Vikings as they try to prevent San Francisco from posting its first 3-0 start in 11 years.

Minnesota had to overcome halftime deficits in a 34-20 win at Cleveland in Week 1 and last Sunday's 27-13 victory at Detroit. Those wins were against teams with a combined 4-28 record last season and an 0-4 mark this year, but the Vikings are not concerned about the perceived quality of their opponents.

"I always find it interesting when you win and people are going to tell you how you should win," said coach Brad Childress, whose team hasn't started 3-0 since 2003. "Anybody that doesn't get how hard it is to win a game in this league? It's a hard thing to do. It's hard. It's harder yet to go on the road and do it."

Favre has made it look relatively easy in his first two games with the defending NFC North champions. The 39-year-old quarterback has completed a league-best 77.1 percent (37 of 48) of his passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions.

He's had to throw for just 265 yards while Adrian Peterson has carried the workload, leading the league with 272 rushing yards and four TDs.

"I think he's playing within the confines, if you will," Childress said of Favre, who is averaging 5.5 yards per pass attempt -- third-lowest among NFL starters.

Favre is expected to extend his NFL-record consecutive starts streak he set last week (271) despite leaving in the fourth quarter with an apparent hand injury.

"Not a fractured thumb, or a dislocated wrist, or a season-ending injury," Childress said. "He bent his fingernail. That hurts, too. For those of you who have fingernails, that hurts."

Favre, 8-1 lifetime versus San Francisco, is making his Metrodome debut as the Vikings' starting quarterback. He had a 6-10 record there while with Green Bay but won four of the last five, throwing for 1,565 yards with 12 touchdowns and two interceptions.

Yet, with all the attention he's garnered since coming out of retirement and signing a two-year deal Aug. 18, the future Hall of Famer understands Minnesota's fortunes rise and fall with Peterson.

"I got no problem telling you our offense is based around Adrian Peterson. Big deal," Favre said. "We're going to give it again to him next week."

Peterson is expected to play after participating in the entire practice for the first time all week Friday due to a back injury, while rookie receiver Percy Harvin is listed as questionable because of an illness.

The worst game of Peterson's career came in his only matchup with the 49ers, rushing for three yards on 14 carries and not catching a pass in a 27-7 win Dec. 9, 2007. It's the only time he's been held below 25 yards on the ground.

San Francisco's Frank Gore rushed for 68 yards and caught eight passes for 49 yards in that contest.

Last Sunday, Gore bounced back from a 30-yard rushing effort against Arizona in Week 1 with 207 yards on the ground in a 23-10 victory over Seattle. It was the franchise's third 200-yard rushing game and first since he rushed for a team-record 212 against Seattle on Nov. 19, 2006.

The most recent effort saw Gore join Barry Sanders as the only players in NFL history with two rushing TDs of at least 79 yards in the same game.

"You may not see me laughing or anything like that, but I enjoy every bit of it because when he's running like that, something good up front is happening," 49ers coach Mike Singletary said. "Obviously, it was a great day. It really was. It's a tribute to our offensive line. It's a tribute to Frank seeing the holes and hitting them. It's a tribute to our outside guys and our receivers doing a great job blocking. Everybody is doing their job in order for those things to happen."

Gore sprained his right ankle in the fourth quarter but said Monday he'll be ready for Sunday, when San Francisco looks for its first 3-0 start since 1998 when it finished 12-4.

The 49ers were 2-0 in 2007 under coach Mike Nolan but lost their next eight games.

"I don't really want to compare to 2-0 now and 2-0 (two years ago)," said Singletary, who replaced Nolan on an interim basis for the final nine games in 2008. "This team, we're just going to continue to work, and we're going to continue to get better. And, we'll stay together. Whatever comes out of that, I think the end result will be good."

San Francisco quarterback Shaun Hill improved to 9-3 as a starter Sunday when he completed 19 of 26 for 144 yards. He was 22 of 27 for 181 yards and a TD against Minnesota in the last meeting in 2007.

The Vikings have won three straight at home over the 49ers, most recently a 35-7 victory Sept. 28, 2003.

Vikings-Cards Dec. 6 game flexed to nighttime

The NFL has moved the Minnesota at Arizona game to the night slot on Dec. 6 under its flexible scheduling policy.

2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 12

Week 12 of the latest ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings reveals a matchup of the Nos. 1 and 4 teams.

Rookie Watch: Week 11

Scouts Inc. ranks the top 10 rookies after Week 11 of the 2009 NFL season.

Joyner: Week 12 pickups

You never know when an injury or a slump will doom you, so you'd better have depth.

Santa Clara approves financing plan for 49ers stadium

Nearly three years after Santa Clara's hopes of landing an NFL stadium came to life, the City Council early this morning carried that dream over yet another key hurdle ? approving a long-awaited financing plan with the San Francisco 49ers.

CB Bly blows into camp

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Newsom to Santa Clara: Don't build stadium

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Sharing stadium not such bad idea

THE ONLY ABSOLUTE about a sports team seeking a new home is the presence of anger.

Singletary's 'intensity' could be rallying point for middling 49ers

The new uniforms bring to mind the San Francisco 49ers of the championship years.

Vikings cut receiver

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Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress wigs out, shows a sense of humor

The Vikings completed a mandatory three-day minicamp Sunday at Winter Park. Here's a closer look at what we learned: Who says Vikings coach Brad Childress doesn't like to have fun? He showed the lighter side of his personality on Sunday.

Vikes' Wildcat formation means little in face of Favre fluctuation

The Vikings spent their latest camp working on the Wildcat formation. They should have been drawing up their Wildcard formation.

Vikings' Childress is Favre's innocent victim

Fran Tarkenton's rips on Brett Favre for the way he's mercilessly toyed with the Minnesota Vikings certainly can be justified.

NFL players union requests hold on suspensions

The NFL Players Association is asking a federal judge to keep the suspensions of five players on hold while the case over use of a banned substance is appealed.