Lenoir takes playful shot at Darnold before Sunday matchup vs. ex-49er

Lenoir takes playful shot at Darnold before Sunday matchup vs. ex-49er originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Deommodore Lenoir spent plenty of time defending passes from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold during practices last season when both played for the 49ers.

And ahead of Sunday’s game between San Francisco and Minnesota, the cornerback is reminiscing on those days rather fondly. When asked Thursday who would win the upcoming matchup between himself and Darnold, Lenoir answered promptly.

“I believe I win that for sure,” Lenoir told reporters with a smile, pretending to catch a pass (h/t San Francisco Chronicle’s Eric Branch). “Because me and Sam, we had this connection. This connection. He liked to throw the ball to me. This week, I’m coming. He knows it.

“I know he’s a talented player. He’s going to come ready to work. I know how he prepares. He gave us great looks when he played here with us. Just taking over the scout team, he was throwing dimes. So I know it’s going to have to be tight, sticky coverage.”

Darnold served as the backup to 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during the 2023 NFL season, going up against San Francisco’s vaunted defense in practice. Now, he’ll face his former team in a regular-season matchup as the 49ers visit U.S. Bank Stadium for a Week 2 showdown between two 1-0 squads.

Lenoir described how odd it will be to see Darnold in a different uniform this Sunday.

“It’s going to be crazy to actually see him on the other side, just because he’s been with us and a part of us, and I felt like he was really embracing the Niner culture,” Lenoir said. “To play against him, I know the talent that he has and just how he operates, and how he comes in and how he’s going to prepare for us, and he’s going to come in ready.”

Lenoir, who finished the 2023 campaign with three interceptions, admitted he has been waiting on San Francisco’s return to Minnesota this year after the Vikings handed the 49ers their second defeat in a three-game losing skid last season with a 22-17 win in Week 7.

“I see a team that wants it, so we’re going to have to match their intensity,” Lenoir said. “We already got that bad taste in our mouth from last year when we played them on that three-game stretch where we [were] losing …

“So, this is like a personal game for us.”

This year, however, it’s a familiar face in Minnesota rather than now-Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins. And the 49ers certainly are hoping the outcome of the game is different, too.

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