Nick Bosa did not hide his frustration after the 49ers’ 23-17 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Speaking to reporters after the game, the star defensive end explained what happened as San Francisco lost for the first time of the 2024 NFL season.
“[The Vikings have] a really good coach and a lot of really good players, and Sam [Darnold] is doing a great job,” Bosa said. “It’s a wake-up call, but we know why it happened. There’s a lot to fix.”
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"It's a wake-up call, but we know why it happened."
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 15, 2024
Nick Bosa reflects on what's next for the 49ers after today's loss pic.twitter.com/sGfWbRGpwl
The 49ers entered Sunday’s contest riding a high from crushing the New York Jets in the season opener, but a series of costly blunders killed any potential for a victory against the Vikings.
Quarterback Brock Purdy committed a couple of mistakes that led to turnovers, and Minnesota’s offense moved at will during large stretches of the game.
Two decisions to go for it on fourth down in the second quarter backfired on coach Kyle Shanahan, which doomed the 49ers and opened the door for the Vikings to pad the lead.
San Francisco 49ers
Purdy offered a similar explanation as Bosa, expressing his disappointment that San Francisco’s talent-laden roster failed to perform at the level needed to win.
“Just because you got really good players and good scheme, doesn't mean the other team is going to give it to you,” Purdy told reporters. “You have to go out and earn it. We’ve had to learn that the first two games of the season. So, hopefully we can get better next week.”
"Just because you got really good players and good scheme, doesn't mean the other team is going to give it to you."
— 49ers on NBCS (@NBCS49ers) September 15, 2024
Brock Purdy shares his takeaways from today's loss pic.twitter.com/P2b79Mu3QV
While running back Jordan Mason had another solid performance starting in place of Christian McCaffrey, Purdy and the rest of the offense looked out of sorts for most of the game. Minnesota’s aggressive pass rush blew through San Francisco’s protection constantly and got plenty of pressure on Purdy.
With its record now at 1-1 to start the season, San Francisco will look to turn things around next week in an NFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Rams.