What will The Athletic’s Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski be watching for in the Vikings’ game against the 49ers?

Lie: Sam Darnold will get his first big test against his former team. This is the low-hanging fruit, of course, but it will be fascinating. Darnold shined in his Vikings debut last week, performing despite serious internal pressure.

Sunday will be a different test altogether. On multiple occasions Monday night, the 49ers defense used deception to keep New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers off balance. The 49ers defenders would roam the field with receivers, prompting man coverage, and then zone out, confusing Rodgers and leading to sacks.

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

Krawczyński: This new Vikings defensive line. They made a great first impression against the New York Giants, and they’ll have to be even better to get Brock Purdy and the Niners offense out of rhythm.

This group may not have had a Micah Parsons or a TJ Watt or even a Danielle Hunter, but its depth and versatility shone brightly in the Meadowlands. Andrew Van Ginkel, Patrick Jones II and Jonathan Greenard looked like the group, and Dallas Turner showed signs of being a household name down the stretch. They were so effective that Brian Flores didn’t have to blitz much to put pressure on Daniel Jones.

Against a Niners offense that features Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle in the passing game, it will be imperative for the offensive line to get to the finish line without too much help.