Golden Nuggets: Game Day!

Good morning folks, it’s a wonderful day - game day! After what feels like one of the longest offseasons in recent memory, 49ers football is finally here. Although the Minnesota Vikings are a tough team to start the season against, this matchup will be an excellent opportunity to gauge how the new-look 49ers can stack up against playoff-caliber opponents.

The loss of Jerick McKinnon for the season obviously stings - but this will be a first glimpse of how Jimmy Garoppolo is able to perform with his full complement of wide receivers. Furthermore, the rebuilt secondary will be an extremely interesting unit to watch - an offseason of moves & growth have, on paper, moved the DB group (in terms of talent) beyond the liability that they were last year.

Finally, the offensive line should be improved from last year after being rebuilt from the center to the right tackle. A major issue last year was the (almost) league worst performance of the running game on the right side, and I've got high hopes that the line can break the stench of "LOLine". The Vikings have a very stout defense, so expectations should be tempered - but even modest success today will go a long way in building some belief in the unit.

Go Niners!

Week 1 injury report | Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area

Dekoda Watson to IR | Madson, Ninerswire | Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area

Things to watch in Week 1 | Madson, Ninerswire | Maiocco, NBC Sports Bay Area | Almquist, KNBR | Biderman, Sac Bee

Predictions for Week 1 | Madson, Ninerswire

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