49ers Drop Season Opener in Minnesota

Jimmy Garoppolo experienced his first loss as an NFL starting quarterback on Sunday against a team expected to be in Super Bowl contention.The 49ers battled injuries against the Minnesota Vikings and failed to take advantage of some prime opportunities in a 24-16 loss during the opening week of the NFL regular season.Garoppolo had a rough day. He made some errant throws and also did not receive a lot of help from his teammates. Garoppolo completed 15 of his 33 pass attempts for 261 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions.Too many mistakesThe Vikings' defense was the best in the league last season in yards and points allowed. It's a difficult unit to crack, and the 49ers helped them out on Sunday.Running back Alfred Morris fumbled at the goal line in the first half as the 49ers appeared ready to tie the game at 10-10. And there were other critical mistakes, too. The 49ers' offense had issues in the red zone, settling for Robbie Gould field goals.Wide receivers Dante Pettis and Pierre Garçon failed to catch passes in the end zone that were in their hands. A deep pass from Garoppolo was in Pettis' hands before cornerback Trae Waynes broke it up in the first half. (Pettis...