Vikings vs 49ers – Combined 11 Personnel Offense

The Vikings host the 49ers in their home opener this season. Last season the was the scene of an upset, and we will all be cheering the Vikings on to repeat the feat this weekend!

However, if you had to combine them to make the best starting 11 personnel offense (1 running back, 3 wide receivers, and 1 tight end) which players would make the team?

QB – Brock Purdy SF

Firstly, I was very wrong putting Daniel Jones above Sam Darnold last week! Darnold looked excellent, defying the expectations of many. Brock Purdy, however, defied the expectations of everyone; 2022’s Mr Irrelevant has so far led his team to an NFC Championship game and a Super Bowl in each of his two seasons so far. He may be a “game manager”, but he’s one of the best in the league doing it.

RB – Christian McCaffrey SF

The Vikings are the most recent team to have their running back win the MVP award in Adrian Peterson. If Christian McCaffrey can put together a healthy season he will be the next to do it, but as it stands he’s been ruled out against the Vikings and put on IR. Like Minnesota’s Aaron Jones, McCaffrey is a weapon as both a runner and a receiver, and many credit him with the 49ers’ sudden rise as a reoccurring Super Bowl contender.

WR1 – Justin Jefferson MIN

Jefferson is the best in the league. The amount of attention he drew in week 1 against the Giants shows you how much respect the league has for him. A big 40+ yard catch in double coverage, a clutch fourth-down touchdown, and gifting Jalen Nailor a walk-in touchdown just by going in motion: three examples of why Jefferson is the best.

WR2 – Brandon Aiyuk SF

Aiyuk is another great receiver; not quite Justin Jefferson good, but still very, very good. 49ers fans will be wishing that Aiyuk handled his contract situation the way Jefferson did and maybe Aiyuk’s handling of that led to some week 1 rust and a dropped touchdown against the Jets. Vikings fans will hope the rust is still there, as the 49ers are anything but short on weapons.

WR3 – Deebo Samuel SF

The 49ers’ offense is scary, I’ll be the first to admit that, and it doesn’t get any less scary with Deebo Samuel. He’s another Swiss Army knife at Kyle Shanahan’s disposal. A weapon wherever he’s lined-up, it’s his versatility that puts Deebo above Jordan Addison in this lineup.

TE – TJ Hockenson MIN

I’m taking a healthy TJ Hockenson over Kittle and I think that George Kittle is awesome! However, I’m certain that if Hockenson wasn’t unceremoniously chopped down at the knee, he would’ve eclipsed Kittle’s position-high 1,020 receiving yards last season. It’s another example of what we’re missing out on with Hockenson being injured. This would’ve been a great battle to watch, and I just can’t wait for the Hock to return.

LT – Trent Williams SF

Simply put, Darrisaw is one of the best left tackles in the league… but Trent Williams is the best left tackle in the league. He’s just signed his new contract too, so it might be a few more years before Darrisaw takes that title from him.

LG – Blake Brandel MIN

If there is a hype train for Blake Brandel, then I have a first-class ticket for it! We all talked about giving a quarterback time to develop outside of the starting lineup, and I firmly believe Brandel can be the guard equivalent of that. My optimism for Brandel puts him ahead of 49ers fourth-year man Aaron Banks, who’s been underwhelming in his previous two seasons as a starter.

C – Jake Brendel SF

Firstly, putting the record straight, Bradbury’s lacklustre performance vs the Giants was as a result of an injury. However, since Brendel became the starter, he has been a consistent player for the 49ers and consistency has been one of Bradbury’s biggest struggles.

RG – Dominick Puni SF

Would you rather have A) a rookie center who allowed just one pressure in his first game; or B) a third-year player who allowed a team-high four pressures in the opener? If you answered A then that’s Dominick Puni, and if you answered B then that’s Ed Ingram… what are you thinking?!

RT – Brian O’Neill MIN

O’Neill showed his worth week 1 with a solid performance against a good pass rush. He’s listed as questionable but Vikings fans will be hoping that our classy right tackle can play Sunday against a team who are best generating their pressures off the edge in San Francisco.

What do you think of my starting offense? Would you change anything?