What are Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic looking for in the Vikings game against the 49ers?

Lewis: Sam Darnold will face his first big test against his former team. It’s an easy one, of course, but it will be exciting. Darnold shone in his debut for the Vikings last week and put in a good performance despite the great internal pressure.

Sunday is a very different test. On several occasions Monday night, the 49ers defense used feints to keep New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers off balance. 49ers defenders moved receivers down the field to signal man coverage and then moved into zones, confusing Rodgers and leading to sacks.

Darnold is at his best when he’s in clean pockets on time and on the road with clear answers. Putting Darnold in that circumstance will be exponentially harder than it was in Week 1. But if head coach Kevin O’Connell and offensive coordinator Wes Phillips can pull it off, they’ll likely be the talk of the league on Monday.

Krawczynski: This revamped Vikings defensive line. They made a great first impression against the New York Giants and will need to get even better to throw Brock Purdy and the Niners offense off rhythm.

This group may not have a Micah Parsons, a TJ Watt, or even a Danielle Hunter, but their depth and versatility were on display at the Meadowlands. Andrew Van Ginkel, Patrick Jones II, and Jonathan Greenard looked like they could get the job done, and Dallas Turner showed signs of becoming a household name down the road. They were so effective that Brian Flores didn’t have to blitz much to put pressure on Daniel Jones.

With a Niners offense that relies on Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game, it’s imperative for the front line to get home without a ton of help.