Vikings Upend The Niners

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns against his former team as the Vikings beat the San Francisco 49ers 23-17 yesterday in Minneapolis. Darnold finished 17-of-26 passing while also running for 32 yards. Justin Jefferson had 133 receiving yards including a 97-yard TD catch for the Vikings, who improved to 2-0 for the first time since 2016. Brock Purdy was 28-of-36 for 319 yards, one T-D and an interception for San Francisco, which slipped to 1-1. Deebo Samuel had 110 receiving yards and Jordan Mason rushed for 100 yards and a score in the setback. Jefferson left the game with a deep bruise on his thigh. Minnesota hosts Houston next Sunday at noon. The Texans beat the Bears last night 19-13. That left the Vikings all alone in first-place in the N-F-C North.