Points distribution, storylines, prediction and more

The San Francisco 49ers will take to the road against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday with a record of 1-0.

San Francisco easily defeated Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets at home in the season opener on Monday night. Jordan Mason delivered a career-best performance in place of injured running back Christian McCaffrey. He will also be the RB1 against Minnesota.

The backstory is San Francisco's struggles against the Vikings in Minnesota. They haven't won in Minneapolis in over three decades. That's an absolutely insane statistic.

On the other hand, these Vikings swept the weak New York Giants 28-6 on the road in Week 1. Former 49ers quarterback Sam Darnold impressed in his regular season debut for the Vikings.

Here we preview the 49ers vs Vikings game with a look at the point spread, game information and some top storylines. We also give a final prediction at the end.

Forbes BettingSF 49ers vs. MN Vikings Week 2: Promos, Odds, Predictions, Tips and Best Bets

49ers-Vikings preview: point spread, TV information and more

• Date: Sunday, September 15
• Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
• TV: CBS
• Point distribution: 49ers (-5.5)

Top storylines for the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings duel

There are a lot of storylines going into this game. Can the Vikings continue their success from starting the season as home underdogs? How will Sam Darnold fare against his former team?

We are also very curious to see what happens with Christian McCaffrey. He has already been ruled out. But a stay on the short-term injured list could be possible.

Christian McCaffrey's status with the 49ers

Multiple media reports indicate that the 49ers will not start McCaffrey in the season opener for the second consecutive year. His status prior to Week 1 was a major topic of discussion as it looked like he would play. McCaffrey was then briefly cut from the roster shortly before kickoff.

The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year is battling a calf and Achilles injury. There is now a good chance that McCaffrey will be placed on the injured list in the short term, meaning he would miss at least four games.

It doesn't make sense for the 49ers to bring him back in so quickly, as the Achilles tendon can be a tricky problem. We've seen it in the past. Most recently with Aaron Rodgers of the Jets at the start of last season. That is, he played despite not being 100 percent recovered from an Achilles tendon injury.

ForbesThe Vikings defense faces a big challenge in Week 2 against the 49ers' strong attackFrom Steve Silverman

When McCaffrey was out last week, Mason rushed for a career-high 148 yards on 27 rushing attempts. San Francisco's offensive line dominated blocking between the tackles. There is absolute confidence that Mason will continue to perform at his best if McCaffrey does indeed go out again on Sunday.

Sam Darnold against his former team, the San Francisco 49ers

This former first-round pick of the New York Jets played for the 49ers last season as a backup to Brock Purdy. He appeared in 10 games (one start) and threw two interceptions against one interception.

Darnold probably deserved the job as the Vikings' starting quarterback from the start. But when rookie and first-round pick JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury during a test game, that was clear.

Despite having a reputation as a loser around the league, Darnold performed well in his debut for the Vikings last week. The USC product completed 19 of 24 passes for 208 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in Minnesota's Week 1 win over the Giants.

A player from San Francisco had already given Darnold material for the bulletin board before this game.

“Sam and I just had a great connection. He loved throwing the ball to me,” 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir said before Sunday's game.

Lenoir is obviously talking about facing off against Darnold in practice last season. The Oregon product played great last week, breaking up an Aaron Rodgers pass that ended up being intercepted. It was part of the 49ers defense's overall dominance against Rodgers and Co.

Getting Brandon Aiyuk back on track

After missing all of training camp due to a contract lockout, Aiyuk looked rusty last week. The All-Pro caught 2 of 5 passes for 28 yards. He also dropped a potential touchdown in the end zone.

It was clear that Brock Purdy didn't have the same connection with Aiyuk as he did the previous two seasons. Remember, he posted an absurd 124.0 QB rating last year when targeting the receiver.

There has to be a certain level of trust that this connection will be rekindled on Sunday. An almost full week of training contributes to this.

Minnesota was able to intercept struggling Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in last week's win. It was a good performance by the defense. But this is a completely different opponent. The Vikings' secondary is also untested at the cornerback position. That will play a role, too.

Fred Warner’s absolute genius for the San Francisco 49ers

It's no exaggeration to say Warner was the best player on the field Monday night against the Jets. It's crazy considering the game featured five likely future Hall of Famers.

The All-Pro linebacker was just as good in the running game as he was in pass defense. Warner finished the game with seven tackles and a forced fumble against running back Breece Hall. He also allowed only two pass catches of five yards or more. We're now talking about one of the best all-around football players in the game.

Sunday against Minnesota will be interesting in terms of Warner's role. He will focus on running after the Vikings' new running back Aaron Jones rushed for 94 yards on 14 attempts against New York. But with tight end TJ Hockenson still out, there isn't much danger in that regard. Could we see more undercover on the field against Justin Jefferson?

Avoiding disappointment in Minnesota

The last time the 49ers won a game in Minnesota was in 1992. To put that in perspective, Steve Young and Jerry Rice were the stars of the 49ers' 20-17 victory. Rich Gannon was the Vikings' quarterback. Bill Clinton had just been elected President of the United States. Presidential candidate Kamala Harris was just 28 years old.

For some reason, the 49ers have struggled in the Twin Cities. The last time they played in Minnesota was just last season. Minnesota won the game 22-17, with Purdy throwing two interceptions in the loss.

Latest prediction for 49ers at Vikings

The 49ers are favorites to score a near touchdown in this game for good reason. They are way better than Minnesota.

Purdy is expected to perform better than he did in Week 1 against the Jets. The trio of George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk will be too much for the Vikings.