Game story
In Week 1 of the 2015 NFL season on 2015-09-14, the San Francisco 49ers took care of business against the Minnesota Vikings, pulling away with a 20–3 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
T. Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings) paced the passing game, with -17.27 total EPA, and +10.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, C. Hyde (San Francisco 49ers) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +6.75 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-22.1% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when San Francisco 49ers changed the game: (9:30) 9-P.Dawson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (34-A.Sendejo), Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion, RECOVERED by MIN-35-M.Sherels at MIN 30. 35-M.Sherels to SF 26 for 44 yards (89-V.McDonald).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota Vikings | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 C. Hyde · San Francisco 49ers · Rushing · +6.75 total EPA · 29 snaps · +0.23 EPA/play
- 2 C. Kaepernick · San Francisco 49ers · Passing · +6.52 total EPA · 32 snaps · +0.20 EPA/play
- 3 V. Davis · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +3.31 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 4 M. Wallace · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +2.28 total EPA · 7 snaps · +0.33 EPA/play
- 5 G. Celek · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +2.19 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 6 C. Johnson · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +1.85 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.62 EPA/play
- 7 J. McKinnon · Minnesota Vikings · Rushing · +0.91 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.30 EPA/play
- 8 A. Boldin · San Francisco 49ers · Receiving · +0.71 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
C. Hyde — SF · Rushing
C. Hyde posted the highest total EPA (+6.75) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on San Francisco 49ers's efficiency. Across 29 counted snaps, they averaged +0.23 EPA per play.
The signature play (-6.98 EPA) came from San Francisco 49ers: (9:30) 9-P.Dawson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (34-A.Sendejo), Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion, RECOVERED by MIN-35-M.Sherels at MIN 30. 35-M.Sherels to SF 26 for 44 yards (89-V.McDonald).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- San Francisco 49ers — C. Hyde
- San Francisco 49ers — C. Hyde
Field goals
- San Francisco 49ers — P. Dawson
- Minnesota Vikings — B. Walsh
- San Francisco 49ers — P. Dawson
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The second quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 7–0. San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the MIN 10 (Q2 30:55) — (:55) (Shotgun) 28-C.Hyde left end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q2 30:47) — 9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion..
The third quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 3–0. San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the MIN 11 (Q3 19:37) — (4:37) 9-P.Dawson 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion..
The fourth quarter: San Francisco 49ers won the period 10–3. Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the SF 19 (Q4 14:48) — (14:48) 3-B.Walsh 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke.; San Francisco 49ers found the end zone from the MIN 17 (Q4 9:44) — (9:44) (Shotgun) 28-C.Hyde right tackle for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; San Francisco 49ers added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q4 9:30) — 9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.; San Francisco 49ers connected on a field goal from the MIN 7 (Q4 6:13) — (6:13) 9-P.Dawson 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q1 54:30) — (9:30) 9-P.Dawson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (34-A.Sendejo), Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion, RECOVERED by MIN-35-M.Sherels at MIN 30. 35-M.Sherels to SF 26 for 44 yards (89-V.McDonald).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 48:33) — (3:33) 18-J.Locke punts 39 yards to MIN 42, Center-47-K.McDermott. 38-J.Hayne MUFFS catch, touched at MIN 42, RECOVERED by MIN-57-A.Cole at MIN 43. 57-A.Cole to MIN 43 for no gain (38-J.Hayne). 1-yd o
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 54:02) — (9:02) 3-B.Walsh 44 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke.
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 46:17) — (1:17) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short left to 82-K.Rudolph to SF 29 for 2 yards (41-A.Bethea). SF-29-J.Tartt was injured during the play. His return is Probable. Caught at SF 31. 2-yds YAC
- Minnesota Vikings (Q2 30:00) — (:00) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass deep left to 17-J.Wright to SF 18 for 27 yards (29-J.Tartt). Caught at SF 19. 1-yd YAC
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- San Francisco 49ers (Q1 54:30) — (9:30) 9-P.Dawson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (34-A.Sendejo), Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion, RECOVERED by MIN-35-M.Sherels at MIN 30. 35-M.Sherels to SF 26 for 44 yards (89-V.McDonald).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q4 8:41) — (8:41) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass deep right intended for 82-K.Rudolph INTERCEPTED by 26-T.Brock [90-G.Dorsey] at SF 44. 26-T.Brock to MIN 30 for 26 yards (17-J.Wright).
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 48:33) — (3:33) 18-J.Locke punts 39 yards to MIN 42, Center-47-K.McDermott. 38-J.Hayne MUFFS catch, touched at MIN 42, RECOVERED by MIN-57-A.Cole at MIN 43. 57-A.Cole to MIN 43 for no gain (38-J.Hayne). 1-yd o
- Minnesota Vikings (Q1 54:02) — (9:02) 3-B.Walsh 44 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke.
Quarterback report card
T.Bridgewater led all passers in efficiency for Minnesota Vikings, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- T.Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings) · 41 dropbacks · 56.1% completion · +10.7% CPOE · -0.42 EPA/play · -17.27 total EPA
- C.Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers) · 32 dropbacks · 53.1% completion · +1.5% CPOE · +0.20 EPA/play · +6.52 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Minnesota Vikings | San Francisco 49ers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | -0.241 | +0.013 |
| Offensive success rate | 33.3% | 53.6% |
| Pass EPA/play | -0.421 | +0.204 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.007 | +0.138 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.013 | +0.241 |
| Defensive success rate | 46.4% | 66.7% |
By the numbers
San Francisco 49ers held the efficiency edge in offensive EPA per play (+0.01 vs -0.24), even if the scoreboard told a different story.
- Minnesota Vikings: 10 drives, -16.66 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
- San Francisco 49ers: 9 drives, +1.11 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- San Francisco 49ers leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- C. Hyde (San Francisco 49ers) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- T. Bridgewater (MIN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q2 30:55 · MIN 10 · Score 0-6
(:55) (Shotgun) 28-C.Hyde left end for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q2 30:47 · MIN 15 · Score 0-7
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q3 19:37 · MIN 11 · Score 0-10
(4:37) 9-P.Dawson 30 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion. - Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q4 14:48 · SF 19 · Score 3-10
(14:48) 3-B.Walsh 37 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-K.McDermott, Holder-18-J.Locke. - San Francisco 49ers TD (+6) — Q4 9:44 · MIN 17 · Score 3-16
(9:44) (Shotgun) 28-C.Hyde right tackle for 17 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - San Francisco 49ers XP (+1) — Q4 9:30 · MIN 15 · Score 3-17
9-P.Dawson extra point is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion. - San Francisco 49ers FG (+3) — Q4 6:13 · MIN 7 · Score 3-20
(6:13) 9-P.Dawson 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Minnesota Vikings 20-3 in Week 1, 2015 on 2015-09-14.
What was the final score of Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
The final score was Minnesota Vikings 3, San Francisco 49ers 20 (MIN 3-20 SF) in Week 1, 2015 on 2015-09-14.
What was the score by quarter in Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
Q2: Minnesota Vikings 0, San Francisco 49ers 7; Q3: Minnesota Vikings 0, San Francisco 49ers 3; Q4: Minnesota Vikings 3, San Francisco 49ers 10; Final: Minnesota Vikings 3, San Francisco 49ers 20.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
San Francisco 49ers touchdown — C. Hyde (Q2 30:55) San Francisco 49ers touchdown — C. Hyde (Q4 9:44) San Francisco 49ers field goal — P. Dawson (Q3 19:37, 3 pts) Minnesota Vikings field goal — B. Walsh (Q4 14:48, 3 pts) San Francisco 49ers field goal — P. Dawson (Q4 6:13, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
T. Bridgewater (Minnesota Vikings), 56.1% completion, +10.7% CPOE, -0.42 EPA per dropback, -17.27 total passing EPA. C. Kaepernick (San Francisco 49ers), 53.1% completion, +1.5% CPOE, +0.20 EPA per dropback, +6.52 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Minnesota Vikings vs San Francisco 49ers?
C. Hyde (San Francisco 49ers) led the game in total EPA with +6.75 on rushing plays. across 29 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-6.98 EPA): (9:30) 9-P.Dawson 28 yard field goal is BLOCKED (34-A.Sendejo), Center-86-K.Nelson, Holder-5-B.Pinion, RECOVERED by MIN-35-M.Sherels at MIN 30. 35-M.Sherels to SF 26 for 44 yards (. The biggest win-probability swing was -22.1%.
Season records after this game
Minnesota Vikings
Now 0-1 L
San Francisco 49ers
Now 1-0 W
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