The team was tired and got outmuscled

@"StickyBun" said: Its pretty simple. Fatigue was a factor. The past 6 Super Bowl winners got a bye week in the playoffs. Jimmy G. was oh so beatable but not by a bunch of run down Vikings. Both lines of the Vikings got pounded. 

Offensively, we are a terrible match up with the 49ers Front 7, especially when they are all healthy. Sure, the bye week helped them a lot, but even if they had played last week, they still would have exposed our "trash" OLine that has been an issue any time we faced a team with a stout front end of their defense. 

What was even more frustrating was our DLine's inability to figure out how to stop the stretch zone cutback runs. You knew it was coming, and we had no answers. 8 straight running plays on one of their TD drives. We have been susceptible to that style of running game all year.  

We struggle against good teams with good lines.  We get exposed.  

Linval player a season high 55 snaps

Ham played a season low 3 snaps

Basically we got away from some of the things that got us there...

Sometimes the other team is just better. I'm not saying that isn't the case, what I'm saying is this Vikings team was TIRED. Nothing more. The team might have still gotten outmuscled regardless, my point is they would have made more of a game of it. We know the offensive line is inconsistent and has issues with certain types of teams. Upgrades are warranted in that unit obviously. 

I think the Titans disproved the myth that some of the best young athletes in the world are going to be tired cause they played the week before.  The game was pretty even in the first half, but then yes in the second half the defense did get worn down but it had nothing to do with the bye and everything to do with our offense going an amazing 3 and out on 7 of our first 9 drives, up until late 4th quarter we had 4 first downs!  The reason we lost is simple, our OC was not prepared and did not make an adjustment all game and our QB can’t move or read a defense.  

I have no idea why our OC is a HC candidate when he has not proven himself to be a great OC.  It was obvious the 49ers game plan was to play 7-8 in the box, take away the run and make Kirk beat them and we played right into it the entire game.  We never tried to spread them out, we consistently went 2-3 TE formations, packed it in and allowed them to keep everyone upfront.  I was stunned that an NFL OC could call a game like that.  I was also stunned at the number of shots of Kirk on the sideline by himself with a cap on and his arms folded looking defeated instead of talking to his OC and teammates and working on some of adjustments, never seen that in a playoff game.  

@"StickyBun" said: Its pretty simple. Fatigue was a factor. The past 6 Super Bowl winners got a bye week in the playoffs. Jimmy G. was oh so beatable but not by a bunch of run down Vikings. Both lines of the Vikings got pounded. 

So they came unprepared like normal against a team with a winning record.