49ers-Vikings: 49ers have not won in Minnesota since 1992

December 13, 1992.

That’s the last time the San Francisco 49ers have gone on the road and beaten the Minnesota Vikings. So, for over 30 years, the 49ers have not been able to beat the Vikings in Minnesota.

Oddly enough, it seemed the Vikings games in the Twin Cities revealed some glaring issues of whatever 49ers team put together that year. Many times, it would be the first loss of the year.

In 2009, the 49ers traveled for Week 3. They were 2-0 and faced the Brett Favre-led Vikings. With only seconds remaining, Favre threw a 32-yard pass that was caught by wide receiver Greg Lewis. It looked like Lewis had stepped out of bounds, but on replay, he was clearly in. The 49ers had two seconds left after the fiasco.

While the 49ers managed to beat the then-St. Louis Rams the next week, the only time they would win consecutively a second time in 2009 was the final two weeks of the season.

In 2012, after being 2-0, a very strange game that had Frank Gore fumbling the ball (a very un-Frank Gore thing to do). The 49ers took a 24-13 loss. Against Christian Ponder as the Vikings quarterback. While it was in no way near as devastating, it did establish the Win-Win-Loss/Tie pattern the 49ers would be following for the entire regular season (and if you consider the Postseason a “new” season, then it followed along there, too).

Most recently? 2023. What we can call the “Steve Wilks exposed” game. The 49ers had been dominant, going 6-0 to start the season. Then they ran into a backup quarterback in the Cleveland Browns and some really strange defensive scheming (though the defense did keep them in the game, for what it’s worth). That game and the six preceding it were showing the cracks in the defense if you choose to look for it. The defenses under Steve Wilks were competent due to talent but struggled in hurry-up, two-minute situations. Those usually led to quick completions, bonehead penalties, and deep shots where the coverage was just way too soft. Sure, teams are going to score, but if you noticed it, you knew there was a problem.

Then the Vikings came in Week 7. Kirk Cousins blew up, going 35 for 45 (77% completion rate). The 49ers’ offense didn’t do themselves any favors, losing a fumble along with Brock Purdy’s two turnovers (most likely the result of a concussion).

And then there was Jake Moody. After not being used except for extra points for two straight weeks, Moody made a single field goal against his three attempts in Cleveland. One of those misses would have won the game had it went the other way. Minnesota wasn’t much better as Moody shanked what looked like a simple 40-yarder wide right. Moody would later make a 55-yarder to keep the 49ers in the game, but everything was just bad. Moody wouldn’t miss another field goal until the final game of the season, but the shanks returned in the postseason, including a missed extra point in the Super Bowl.

TLDR: The 49ers don’t do well in Minnesota. And somehow, we get a glimpse of their identity in the process.

Sports betting sites had the 49ers sitting at around six-point favorites until the recent news of Christian McCaffrey being out (and subsequently put on IR), but now the line has been anywhere from 4 points to even 5.5.

Hopefully, this weekend, this Sunday, the 49ers can get this historic monkey off their back.