49ers Learn Three Valuable Lessons for the Future

The San Francisco 49ers had the opportunity to start the season 3-0, but due to two costly lessons, they left Minnesota with a loss and a 2-1 record. You could make the argument for a third lesson as well, but for now let's leave it at two. For the 49ers, the first costly lesson was on the offensive side. The 49ers had the ball after the Vikings punted. Given the circumstances, Offensive Coordinator Jimmy Raye and quarterback Shaun Hill should have done a better job recognizing the situation. With the 49ers getting the ball back with just under two minutes left in the fourth quarter, they needed to at least get a first down. The Vikings still had all three of their timeouts. So, the playcalling was way too conservative, especially on the road. The 49ers ran the ball twice with Glen Coffee. He managed to get them to a third-and-six situation. At this point in time in the game, with the Vikings using their timeouts, this would have been a perfect time to use Vernon Davis or even I...