The One NFL Player Vikings Fans Should Despise the Most
Dustin Baker
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Throughout the Minnesota Vikings 60-season history, the franchise has dominated quarterbacks such as Eli Manning, Jim Harbaugh, Jim Everett, Matthew Stafford, Joey Harrington, Sonny Jurgensen, and others. All of those signal-callers have upside-down win-loss records versus Minnesota.
And then a category of abusive quarterbacks exists. These quarterbacks are undefeated against the Vikings: Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Ken Stabler, Jay Schroeder, Phil Simms, and Don Meredith (minimum three starts). It’s quite obvious that the elite passers like Manning and Brady give/gave the Vikings fits.
So does Russell Wilson. Because of his impeccable 7-0 record versus the Vikings as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, he should be perceived as Public Enemy No. 1. No quarterback in NFL history has won more games against Minnesota while not losing at all. Brady is incredibly close at 6-0, and former Vikings alumnus Donovan McNabb was 5-1 in games versus the purple and gold.
But no man has played as flawlessly as Wilson. That is an excruciating problem as the Vikings will likely see Wilson in regular-season matchups for about another decade. Wilson entered the NFL in the same season that current Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins was drafted – 2012. In fact, Wilson and Cousins were born 102 days apart.
Should Wilson remain QB1 with Seattle – Wilson has surfaced in recent trade hubbub – his Seahawks will visit U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time in 2021.
7-0 Career Record vs. MIN
Since 2012, the Vikings play and lose to the Wilson-led Seahawks once every 21 games. 10.4% of all Vikings losses in the last nine seasons have occurred against Wilson. As a standalone statistic, this percentage is flabbergasting.
In seven games – wins, of course – Wilson has thrown for 1,348 passing yards (193 per game), 14 touchdowns passes, and four interceptions en route to a 103.9 passer rating. That yardage mark is surely not terrifying, but Wilson and his Seahawks always find a method to upend the Vikings – no matter the circumstance.
It started with beatdowns. During his first three games pitted against the Vikings, the margins of victory for Seattle were 10 points (2012), 21 points (2013), and 31 points (2015).
The score margins tightened in the last half-decade, and you probably know when it started.
Even Snuck Away with Playoff Win
It was the third coldest game in NFL history. The Vikings hosted the Seahawks in the Wildcard Round of the 2015 playoffs. The contest was a frigid dogfight. Wilson tossed a measly 141 passing yards, a touchdown, and a pick. Wind chill during the survival tryst was -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Minnesota did enough to win, but a kicker named Blair Walsh had other ideas. The otherwise dependable Walsh shanked a game-winning, playoff-round-advancing field goal from 27 yards away. The miss disqualified Minnesota from progressing to the Divisional Round, Walsh never really recovered, and Teddy Bridgewater wound up playing in his final meaningful game as a Vikings starting quarterback.
Absurd Stretch of Homefield Advantage
On the recent side of Wilson’s dictatorship over the Vikings, well, he continues to court homefield advantage. Three seasons running, the Seahawks host the Vikings in Seattle at Lumen Field. And every year, Minnesota loses.
Each season since 2018, though, Mike Zimmer’s bunch gets closer to winning the damn thing. In 2018, Seattle won by a score of 21-7 as Minnesota showed up lifeless [on offense].
Then in 2019, the Vikings actually pounced on Seattle with a pick-six courtesy of safety Anthony Harris. Kirk Cousins and Co. even led at the half, 17-10. Soon after, Wilson orchestrated his theatrics en route to a 37-30 victory.
Last season, the Vikings defense crumbled after Cousins authored a fourth-quarter game-winning drive. This was the meeting that Zimmer notoriously opted to go for it on 4th and Inches, but running back Alexander Mattison was stopped just short of an assured Vikings win.
On brand – Wilson marched the length of the field even after experiencing a dead-to-rights 4th and 10 on the final drive.
All in all, the Vikings have not solved the Seahawks since November 22nd, 2009. Brett Favre was the signal-caller and the franchise was amid one of its most exciting seasons ever. Simpler times, indeed.
Minnesota thrashed Seattle on that date, 35-9. From that point on, it’s been the Russell Wilson show.