Key player

WR Jordan Addison

The Vikings' first-round draft pick has six touchdowns in seven games (Justin Jefferson needed 11 games to get that many TDs) after scoring two Monday. He leads all rookies and is one behind Tyreek Hill for the NFL lead. He is making the big plays and the clutch catches with Justin Jefferson out. In the first 100-yard game of his career, Addison showed grit too, taking the ball from Charvarius Ward near halftime and sprinting away for a second-quarter score after Ward had ripped the ball away from him for an interception on the Vikings' opening drive.

Key play

Bynum's second interception

Safety Camryn Bynum was involved in all three Vikings takeaways, first forcing Christian McCaffrey's first-quarter fumble with Harrison Smith. But the second of Bynum's two fourth-quarter interceptions thwarted the 49ers for good. The Vikings settled for field goals deep in the red zone twice, played conservatively in the fourth quarter and then missed a field goal with 1:11 left, leaving them with only a five-point lead and the 49ers in good field position. Bynum's leaping grab put an end to Vikings fans' angst.

Key number

7 of 14

The Vikings won the game, sure. That's the most important number, but the game was only as close as it was because the Vikings offense continues to be perplexing deep in the red zone. They had first-and-goal from the 2 in the second quarter and first-and-goal from the 1 in the third quarter and settled for a field goal both times. They have scored only seven touchdowns on 14 possessions with goal-to-go situations this season, averaging just 4.4 points per possession.

Up next

at Green Bay, Sunday, noon (Fox)

The Vikings make their annual trip to Lambeau Field with their archrivals coming off the nadir of their season so far, a 19-17 loss to the now 2-5 Broncos. Jordan Love, in his first season taking over for Aaron Rodgers as the Green Bay quarterback, is struggling, having lost four of the last five after a 38-20 season-opening win over the Bears. The Packers (2-4) scored just six points in the first halves of their last four games and are averaging just 17 points in those games. The Vikings, of course, are only averaging 20.5 points in their last four games.

2023 schedule and results

Sept. 10: L, 20-17 vs. Tampa Bay
Sept. 14: L, 34-28 at Philadelphia
Sept. 24: L, 28-24 vs. L.A. Chargers
Oct. 1: W, 21-13 at Carolina
Oct. 8: L, 27-20 vs. Kansas City
Oct. 15: W, 19-13 at Chicago
Oct. 23: W, 22-17 vs. San Francisco
Oct. 29: at Green Bay
Nov. 5: at Atlanta
Nov. 12: vs. New Orleans
Nov. 19: at Denver
Nov. 27: vs. Chicago
Dec. 10: at Las Vegas
TBA: at Cincinnati
Dec. 24: vs. Detroit
Dec. 31: vs. Green Bay
TBA: at Detroit