SANTA CLARA, Calif. — There is an interesting debate in the NFL these days between people who think it’s a pass-first league, and people who are wrong. The NFL is absolutely a pass-first league. Except, once in a while, when it isn’t.
The 49ers mauled the Vikings 27-10 Saturday, almost exclusively because San Francisco ran for first downs and Minnesota ran into 49ers players. San Francisco ran for 186 yards on 47 carries. Jimmy Garoppolo threw just 19 passes. Meanwhile, Vikings star Dalvin Cook needed a police escort just to get back to the line of scrimmage; he finished with 18 yards on nine carries.