How 49ers let Darnold, Jefferson connect on 97-yard touchdown originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
There are many plays the 49ers wish they could have back from Sunday’s loss to the Minnesota Vikings, but one stands out above the rest.
Both sides of the ball struggled for San Francisco in the 23-17 loss to Minnesota at U.S. Bank Stadium, but the booming 97-yard touchdown pass from Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold to star wide receiver Justin Jefferson in the second quarter might have been the most impactful 49ers miscue in the one-score loss.
In speaking to reporters after the game, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell broke down what went into his decision to call the booming play while backed up against their own end zone.
“The 97-yarder is one of the prettiest throws I’ve seen,” O’Connell said. “It goes back to a look we ran on them last year, similar kind of presentation, similar everything. That one’s been in the hopper for a little bit. Did not know I would call it. Backed up with our feet in the paint like that.
“Great protection in that moment, elite execution by both [Jalen Nailor], I think [he] would have been a long hit as well depending on who Sam chose and he chose the right one launching that thing. That’s as pretty of a throw as I’ve seen, especially in those circumstances. And then [Nailor’s] play style to get the block to get Justin in the end zone.”
Jefferson appreciated the trust Darnold had in him to beat the 49ers’ double-team and make a play.
“I mean, we practiced that play time and time again,” Jefferson told reporters postgame. “We didn’t practice it being on the 3-yard-line and us going 97 [yards], it was just a great, great ball by Sam to really trust the double-team for me to run right through it. It’s been time and time again where we practice these plays and we’ve just got to go out and execute them. It’s going to happen over and over again, like I’ve been saying; me beating a double-team, Sam’s just got to trust me to beat it and to make a big play.”
All Darnold had to do was put the ball in the right spot and let Jefferson do the rest.
“Getting a similar coverage we were looking for and obviously I had [Nailor] as well on the high cross,” Darnold explained. “But just trusting [Jefferson] to obviously beat his man but also beat the safety. Just tried to put it out there for him and obviously, he got it and did the rest.”
So what happened on the play from the 49ers’ perspective?
San Francisco doubled Jefferson with safeties Ji’Ayir Brown and George Odum, who each were tasked with following the star receiver depending on which way he broke in his route.
“I got Jefferson on the over. He’s [George Odum] got Jefferson on the up-and-out,” Brown shared. “So Jefferson stimmed inside, kind of slowed me down, anticipating him going over and he kind of just 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 over there. He just let that thing go and it fell right into his hands.”
Jefferson ultimately burned both Brown and Odum and with a key block from Nailor downfield, scampered nearly the entire length of the field for the score to put Minnesota up 10 points midway through the second quarter.
“I gotta be better. I kind of left my safety hanging there,” Brown admitted. “Yeah, I’ve just got to be better on that play.”
While the big play was costly, it occurred far too early to seal the 49ers’ fate on Sunday.
San Francisco hung around in the game, but ultimately couldn’t contain Darnold and the Vikings’ offense when it mattered most.
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