How the 49ers Let Darnold and Jefferson Score a 97-Yard TD originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There are a lot of plays the 49ers would like to get back after Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but one stands out above the rest.
Both sides of the grid struggled for San Francisco during its 23-17 loss to Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium, but Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s stunning 97-yard touchdown pass to star receiver Justin Jefferson in the second quarter was perhaps the 49ers’ biggest miss in the one-score defeat.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after the game what led to his decision to stop the game while his back was against the end zone.
“The 97-yarder is one of the prettiest throws I’ve ever seen,” O’Connell said. “It goes back to a look we ran on them last year, similar presentation, similar everything. It sat in the hopper for a while. I didn’t know I was going to call it. We just had our feet in the paint.
“Great protection at that moment, elite execution by both [Jalen Nailor]I think [he] would have been a long hit too, depending on who Sam picked and he picked the right one to launch that thing. That’s as good a throw as I’ve ever seen, especially in those conditions. And then [Nailor’s] style of play to get the block and get Justin in the end zone.”
Jefferson was grateful for the confidence Darnold placed in him to defeat the 49ers’ double-decker defense and secure a win.
“I mean, we’ve practiced that play over and over again,” Jefferson told reporters after the game. “We haven’t practiced it when we were standing on the 3-yard line and going 97 [yards]It was just a great, great ball from Sam to really trust the double-team for me to run right through it. It’s over and over again, we practice these plays and we just have to go out there and execute them. It’s going to happen over and over again, like I said; I beat a double-team, Sam just has to trust me to beat it and make a big play.”
All Darnold had to do was put the ball in the right spot and let Jefferson do the rest.
“Getting similar coverage that we were looking for and of course I had [Nailor] also on the high cross,” Darnold explained. “But just trust [Jefferson] to beat his man, but also the safety. I just tried to do it for him and of course he got it and did the rest.”
What happened during the play from the 49ers perspective?
San Francisco doubled Jefferson with safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum, each tasked with tracking the star receiver depending on which direction he took his route.
“I have Jefferson on the over. He is [George Odum] “I got Jefferson on the up-and-out,” Brown shared. “So Jefferson got inside, slowed me down a little bit, anticipating his transition, and he took the roof off. Sam did a hell of a job throwing it, too. Sam just let that thing go, man. And I don’t think he cared who was there. He just let that thing go and it fell right into his hands.”
Jefferson eventually beat both Brown and Odum, and with a key block from Nailor, nearly ran the length of the court to tie the score. Minnesota led by 10 points midway through the second quarter.
“I’ve got to get better. I let my safety down a little bit,” Brown admitted. “Yeah, I’ve just got to get better on that play.”
While the key play was costly, it came far too early to seal the 49ers’ fate on Sunday.
San Francisco stayed in the game, but ultimately couldn’t stop Darnold and the Vikings’ offense when it mattered most.
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