Minnesota Vikings: 6 things to watch for in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers

Aug 15, 2015; Houston, TX, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) in the huddle against the Houston Texans in a preseason NFL football game at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

The remains of the 49ers

It would be weird to feel bad for the 49ers, but, wowzers, have they had a gut punch of an offseason. The team has lost 15 starters or backups this offseason and their head coach. As SB Nation points out, it would be the equivalent if the Vikings lost: Mike Zimmer, Greg Jennings, Jarius Wright, Cordarrelle Patterson, Matt Asiata, Charlie Johnson, Phil Loadholt, Michael Harris, Sharrif Floyd, Chad Greenway, Brandon Watts, Jasper Brinkley, Audie Cole, Xavier Rhodes, Captain Munnerlyn, Marcus Sherels, and Jeff Locke all this offseason.

Yeah. That’s a lot.

So it’ll be interesting to see how San Francisco does with a pretty brand new team. Sure, they’ve been getting reps together in the preseason, but on the notch scale the preseason might be a four or a five and the regular season is a ten or 11.

Next: Those pesky routes!