Vikings Vs. 49ers: Run Defense Needs Improvement For Minnesota

The Minnesota Vikings had a less-than inspiring showing against the San Francisco 49ers in their preseason opener on Friday. It wasn't all bad though, as the offense managed to move the ball early on with some solid play from second-year quarterback Christian Ponder, while the offensive line saved its tumultuous breakdowns until the second stringers came out to play. That said, the game was a 17-6 loss, and there are a lot of negatives to touch upon.

Like the Minnesota run defense. San Francisco does boast a strong roster of running backs, but they managed to gash Minnesota for 198 yards in the first half alone without star running back Frank Gore. Quarterback Colin Kaepernick had a 78-yard touchdown run and Rock Cartwright, of all players, busted off a big run.

Again, this is the preseason, but the Vikings still shouldn't be giving up that kind of yardage on the ground. Guys like Jared Allen and Kevin Williams weren't in the lineup, but Minnesota is a team that likes to rotate its defensive line and these are issues that need to be corrected. As noted by Joe Oberle of CBS Sports, head coach Leslie Frazier was unhappy with the run defense specifically:

"There are some things we've got to work on, our run defense especially," Frazier said. "We will address those issues at camp next week."

Of course, it was the very first preseason game, and they could certainly come out and look much better, but that kind of run defense doesn't just show up one time. The holes the 49ers were able to run through were gigantic, and it will definitely be a point of focus in practice as the Vikings prepare to take on the Bills. Buffalo does figure to be an easier test in the running game, as they don't boast the kind of running back depth the 49ers do.

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Vikings vs. 49ers Final Score: Minnesota Musters Just Two Field Goals, Loses 17-6 To San Francisco

The Minnesota Vikings began their 2012 preseason schedule with a trip to Candlestick Park on Friday night, and left with a 17-6 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings only points came via the foot of kicker Blair Walsh, and the team did not score after the 14:10 mark of the second quarter. Neither team scored in the second half.

Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder was four of nine passing for 80 yards in limited work, with back-up signal caller Joe Webb completing just four of 11 passes for 20 yards in his time on the field. The Vikings gained just 208 total yards in the game.

The highlight of the exhibition contest was a 78-yard run on a read option play by San Francisco back-up quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who finished the game with 92 yards rushing on three carries.

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Vikings vs. 49ers Score: Minnesota Trails San Francisco 17-6 At Halftime

The Minnesota Vikings began their 2012 preseason schedule on Friday evening with a trip to Candlestick Park to take on the San Francisco 49ers, and find themselves trailing 17-6 at halftime. The Vikings six points have come courtesy of 39-yard and 26-yard field goals by placekicker Blair Walsh.

Minnesota quarterback Christian Ponder was four for nine in the first half for 80 yards, also gaining seven yards on two rushes. Toby Gerhart has led the way on the ground for the Vikings, gaining 31 yards on five carries.

49ers back-up quarterback Colin Kaepernick provided the highlight of the first half, galloping 78 yards for a touchdown on a read option play.

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Vikings vs. 49ers 2012: Game Preview, Kickoff Time, TV Schedule And More

The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers will face off in their first game of NFL preseason action on Friday.

Minnesota Vikings vs. San Francisco 49ers Preseason: What To Watch For

The Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers begin their preseason on Friday night. SB Nation Minnesota takes a look at what to keep track of as the Vikings open their 2012 campaign.

Vikings Vs. 49ers: Minnesota Starters Could Be In For Short Night

The Minnesota Vikings are hoping to sport a much-improved offense in 2012. Their defense has been the long-time strong point of the team, but it's definitely an aging unit, with lacking performance on offense from everybody not named Adrian Peterson being the norm. That being said, second-year quarterback Christian Ponder will be looking to be much-improved, hoping to benefit from left tackle Matt Kalil.

If Ponder and the first-team offense (sans the injured Peterson) produce effectively on Friday against the San Francisco 49ers in the preseason opener, they may not see the field for long. According to the Pioneer Press, head coach Leslie Frazier hinted that it could be a short night for the starters if they put up some points:

"I have talked to them about if they score in that first drive what it would mean, but we do have a number," Frazier said. "We are going to talk to them about it, but some of it will be dictated by how we perform early on. We have an idea for the maximum of what we want for participation from an offensive and defensive standpoint."

Of course, even if they do produce, there's a chance that Frazier will want to try out some different things on the fly. The preseason is truly a time where coaches get a feel for everything and what does and does not work. If Ponder goes out there and throws an 80-yard touchdown pass, he might come out again to run some other plays just so to get some more work in him so he's not raw heading into the regular season.

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Vikings Won't Show Too Much Against 49ers On Friday In First Preseason Match

Preseason is finally about to kick off in the NFL and the Vikings will be facing their first opponent on Friday, the San Francisco 49ers.

It being the first game of the preseason though, neither team is probably going to be showing all that much to the other in terms of first team snaps or delving deep into the playbooks. Part of the reason for that is that they'll be waiting to keep the players fresh, and Adrian Peterson will be missing the game anyway as he continues to rehab from his ACL tear he suffered in the last game of last season.

Another part of it will be simple gamesmanship, as the two teams know they'll be seeing each other again very soon:

"Yeah, especially when we play these suckers early," Musgrave said Tuesday. "We have them in the third game so that's definitely a factor when we talk about what we're going to show, what we're going to work on, and what we could care less about."

That isn't to say that the players won't be out there working as hard as always -- it will be the first actual football against an opponent in quite some time, always exciting for the players after a long and arduous training camp -- but if you tune in on Friday to see Christian Ponder and the first string defense play for two quarters you're likely to be disappointed.

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