6 Quick Reactions: Vikings at Seahawks
The Minnesota Vikings entered Week 16 tied with the Detroit Lions for the lead in the NFC North. After beating the Vikings earlier in the season, the current tiebreaker favors the Lions, but with a direct matchup scheduled for Week 18, Kevin O’Connell’s crew controls its own destiny. Philadelphia’s defeat on Sunday eliminates the Eagles from the top seed if either of the two NFC North rivals can win out.
6 Quick Reactions: Vikings at Seahawks
The Vikings won a hard-fought contest in Seattle’s tough environment. In a game that felt like a playoff matchup from start to finish, the end result showed a 27-24 victory for the purple team.
1. The Right Streak Snapped
The Vikings hadn’t won a game in Seattle in 18 years. O’Connell outlawed the demons that primarily haunted Mike Zimmer and Leslie Frazier. Geno Smith played extremely well for the most part but failed to replicate Russell Wilson’s past heroics.
Both the offense and the defense battled for 60 minutes, and it was enough to prevail, elevating Minnesota’s active win streak in the 2024 season to eight.
2. Justin Jefferson’s Resistance
Superstar wide receiver Justin Jefferson is not admitting defeat by any means in the race for the receiving crown. Ja’Marr Chase had a solid day, recording 97 yards against the Cleveland Browns, but Jefferson closed the gap against his former college teammate, malting Chase’s lead to 123. It will be hard to catch the red-hot Chase, but it is not impossible.
Jefferson has two more games remaining. He had 81 and 85 yards in his first meetings with the Packers and Lions this season. His 144 yards against the Seahawks were the most of his season.
3. The Reserve Called Game
The Vikings were without future Ring of the Year member Harrison Smith for the first time this season. The good news is that the safety depth is likely the best of all positions on the entire roster, with Cam Bynum and Joshua Metellus playing on most downs anyway.
In addition to that, the Vikings elevated veteran Bobby McCain to the gameday roster and gave some more snaps to Theo Jackson, who has earned a ton of praise over the years but hasn’t been in a position to showcase his skills because of the depth.
On Sunday, he snatched his second career interception in a clutch moment to ice the game, becoming the latest purple hero.
4. Sam Doesn’t Flinch
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold was put into a tough spot late in the game various times in the 2024 season and he just continues to deliver. He led a go-ahead touchdown drive, ending in a wonderful deep touchdown throw to Jefferson right before getting smacked by a defender.
Darnold completed 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions. His touchdown pass total is up to 32, a number all Vikings fans would’ve been thrilled with entering the season, and he has two more games remaining to add to the number.
The confidence keeps rising, and it seems like the Vikings can win every game with him under center.
5. No Turnovers
Whenever the Vikings are in trouble, turnovers usually play a huge role in O’Connell’s operation. This time, however, his crew played a clean game without any fumbles or interceptions.
It has been a point of emphasis for years, and it might finally pay off as recently, the Vikings have taken care of the ball. Darnold’s only interception in the last six games was a fourth-down prayer to Jefferson, which can barely be counted against him.
6. Division Hopes Stay Alive
The Vikings are tied with the Lions. Next week, the Packers will come to U.S Bank Stadium on Sunday, and the Vikings will head to Detroit the following week. Two wins clinch the division and the top seed in the conference.
All they do is keep winning. The win total was set at 6.5 by most oddsmakers in August; now, they have already doubled that number with a 13-2 record. O’Connell’s Coach of the Year odds rise.
Editor’s Note: Information from ESPN helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt