Lumen Field (Seattle) – Sam Darnold got the best of his former team as the Seattle Seahawks rode a dominant defensive display to get back into a tie for first place.
Seattle (9-3) are now tied with the Los Angeles Rams (9-3) in the NFC West following a 26-0 dismantling of the visiting Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Vikings rookie quarterback Max Brosmer threw four interceptions and never stood a chance against one of the NFL premier defenses. At 4-8, the Vikings look lost and will be playing for NFL Draft position in the month of December.
Here are my takeaways:
1. Vikings’ defense harasses former Minnesota QB Sam Darnold
Darnold said practicing against defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ group during his time in Minnesota would help provide answers for Seattle’s offense. Well, it appeared that Flores and the Vikings were the ones who had the answers to the test in this one.
The Vikings blitzed early and often and were effective in speeding up Darnold’s clock. When Minnesota blitzed, Darnold was 5-of-9 for 29 yards, with no touchdowns and two sacks, per Next Gen Stats. Overall, the USC product threw for just 128 yards, was sacked four times and hit seven times, fumbling twice with one recovered by the Vikings. Darnold also had three passes batted down at the line of scrimmage.
Fortunately for Seattle, linebacker Ernest Jones IV picked off an awful pass by Minnesota rookie QB Max Brosmer on fourth down near the goal line, taking it back 85 yards for a score with 2:59 left in the first half. That was the biggest play of the game, giving Seattle a 10-0 lead. In addition to the defense, the Seahawks leaned on Pro Bowl kicker Jason Myers, who converted field goals from 56, 54, 40 and 33 yards.
2. Vikings QB Max Brosmer looked overwhelmed in first NFL start
Brosmer went undrafted for a reason. In his first NFL start, the Minnesota product looked overmatched against an aggressive and talented Seattle defense.
Brosmer finished 19-of-30 for 126 yards, with no touchdowns and four interceptions for a 32.8 passer rating. He didn’t get much help, as Minnesota pass-catchers dropped three passes. And the Vikings had trouble protecting Brosmer, who was sacked four times and pressured 14 times. Making matters worse for Brosmer, the Vikings lost center Ryan Kelly (hip) and running back Aaron Jones Sr. (shoulder) during the game.
3. Defense could carry Seahawks on deep postseason run
The Seahawks imposed their will on Minnesota. Edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence was all over the field, forcing an Aaron Jones fumble on a drive that could potentially have led to points for Minnesota and getting pressure on Brosmer on the pick-six by Jones.
Seattle held the Vikings to just 83 yards. Jones led Seattle with 12 combined tackles and two interceptions. Over the past five games, the Seahawks have held opponents to 16.2 points per game. While Darnold and the offense scuffled, Seattle’s defense appears to be championship-caliber.
It was the first shutout for the Seahawks since 2015, a 26-0 victory over the Chicago Bears.
Smith-Njigba entered Sunday’s contest as the top pass-catcher in receiving yards (1,313), while Jefferson was second in receiving yards in 2024 with 1,533.
Well, the opposing defenses were intent on taking those two playmakers away, and the duo combined for four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets.
For Seattle, that meant turning to the running game, as Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet combined for 108 rushing yards and a score. The Vikings, however, couldn’t get anything going on the ground, finishing with just 53 rushing yards as a team.
4 ½. What’s next?
Winners of six of their past seven games, the Seahawks hit the road to face the Atlanta Falcons (4-8) next week. The Falcons lost a tough one against the New York Jets and have lost six of their past seven games.
The Vikings host another team struggling to find wins in the Washington Commanders, who had their bye this week. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell will have a decision to make at quarterback: go back to J.J. McCarthy, if he’s cleared from concussion protocol, play journeyman backup John Wolford or stick with Brosmer.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams.
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