49ers stumble against Vikings

MINNEAPOLIS – A 49ers team that had Hollywood A-listers Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson cheering for them last week had the D-list Vikings gunning for them Sunday.

Minnesota turned in one of its best efforts in years as second-year quarterback Christian Ponder threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score in a 24-13 win. The 49ers, meanwhile, appeared to suffer a letdown after high-profile wins over the Packers and Lions.

Coach Jim Harbaugh and his players insisted they didn't overlook the Vikings, who won only three games last season. But players admitted their energy output did not match that of the Vikings and their raucous crowd.

"We just came out a little flat and weren't able to get a stop," defensive end Justin Smith said. "Hats off to them. They came out with a good game plan and moved the ball on us. We just need to tighten up."

Said safety Donte Whitner, who dropped an interception that would have given the 49ers life in the fourth quarter: "I don't think our energy level is where it normally is, but I wouldn't say that we weren't ready. We were prepared. Prepared like crazy all week, and we're going to continue to prepare like that."

One of Harbaugh's most impressive feats last season was going 5-0 in games that started at 10 a.m. Pacific time, typically a challenge for West Coast teams. In their first early start this season, the 49ers allowed the Vikings to rack up 344 yards, more than the Packers' and Lions' notable offenses each gained in Weeks 1 and 2.

Ponder and speedy wide receiver Percy Harvin proved particularly slippery. Harvin led all receivers with nine catches for 89 yards and routinely turned short swing passes into first downs.

Ponder, meanwhile, always seemed to be a few steps ahead of the 49ers' defense, either by scrambling out of the pocket and then finding a receiver downfield or by picking up yards with his feet.

In the second quarter, he accomplished something only one player did in 2011 – run for a touchdown against the 49ers. Seattle's Marshawn Lynch did that in Week 16 last season on a four-yard run in a game the 49ers played without inside linebacker Patrick Willis.

Ponder did it by attacking the gut of the 49ers' defense and breaking a tackle by safety Dashon Goldson for a 23-yard score. Overall, the Vikings had 146 yards on the ground, including 86 yards on 25 attempts by running back Adrian Peterson.

Minnesota had drives of 16, 11, nine and 12 plays and won the time-of-possession battle 33:28 to 26:32.

The Vikings also entered halftime with a 17-3 lead, which allowed their defense to drop their safeties, take away deep passes and force the 49ers to move piecemeal downfield.

Alex Smith and the 49ers had several methodical drives of their own. But they mostly ended in David Akers field-goal attempts – one of which was blocked – or with uncharacteristic turnovers.

One play after Kyle Williams returned a kickoff 50 yards in the fourth quarter, Frank Gore fumbled, and the Vikings took over at the 50-yard line.

It was the first time a 49ers offensive player had lost a fumble in the regular season since Vernon Davis did it Nov. 6 in Washington.

The 49ers' defense forced two fumbles by backup running back Toby Gerhart from Stanford in the final 3 1/2 minutes, a scenario that last season usually led to points by San Francisco's offense.

This time, it just led to more San Francisco turnovers – an interception by Smith and fumble by the quarterback after he was hit from behind by defensive end Jared Allen. The interception was Smith's first in 250 pass attempts.

"There's going to be good, there's going to be bad," Harbaugh said. "Today was a bad day. We can't sulk about it, can't complain, point fingers. You just have to suck it up. And I know we'll do that."

• Read more articles by Matthew Barrows

Order Reprint