Why 49ers should be happy it likely won't rain in playoff game vs. Vikings

Rain officially is listed as questionable for the 49ers' divisional-round game against the Minnesota Vikings at Levi's Stadium on Saturday. 

All terrible puns aside, The Athletic's David Lombardi noted Tuesday night that there now only is a 20 percent chance of rain for the 1:35 p.m. PT kickoff. This, of course, would be a big positive for the 49ers. 

Remember San Francisco's rain-soaked 9-0 win over Washington in Week 7? No? That's because it was a snooze fest with the offense taking a nap. 

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Jimmy Garoppolo completed 12 of 21 pass attempts for only 151 yards. He failed to throw a touchdown and was intercepted once. The 49ers averaged 237.8 yards passing per game in the regular season, far from Jimmy G's total back on Oct. 20.

On the ground, San Francisco still managed to gain 137 yards rushing. But that is below the 49ers' 144.1 yards per game average, good for second in the NFL. 

The 49ers' offense is built on precision passing from Garoppolo and speed from a multitude of ball carriers. Running backs Raheem Mostert, Matt Breida and Tevin Coleman -- plus receiver Deebo Samuel -- all have elite speed and can take the ball to the house at any moment. Coach Kyle Shanahan loves to find ways to get them the ball on the outside and get them off to the races. 

That won't be as easy if the 49ers have to play on wet grass with the rain coming down. Shanahan and Co. certainly are hoping for sunshine. 

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As far as Jimmy G goes, the Illinois native grew up playing in mud games, but there's no doubt he'd rather have a dry ball in his hands. The same goes for his receivers. A handful of Jimmy G's options have struggled to catch the ball this season, including Samuel. 

[RELATED: Jimmy G's stats vs. playoff teams show he's ready for Vikes]

The rookie leads the 49ers with a gut-wrenching nine drops this season. Samuel is making his playoff debut and has become of a huge part of San Francisco's offense. He might night have his eyes glued to the weather app on his phone, but he too is looking for a dry day in Santa Clara. 

Fans will flock to Levi's Stadium on Saturday. The 49ers hope The Faithful can keep their umbrellas at home.

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