Three Things We Learned From the Vikings’ Big Win In Seattle
Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings took a trip to the Pacific Northwest, winning 27-24 against the Seattle Seahawks in a city where they hadn’t won in 18 years. In some ways, it felt like a typical Vikings win, with the team getting off to their patented hot start, scoring a first-drive touchdown, and keeping a lead up until late in the fourth quarter, when the Seahawks took a four-point lead with 4:21 remaining.
From there, we got yet another shining Sam Darnold moment, as he took the lead back with a strike to Justin Jefferson. Jefferson definitely had a lot to say today with both his words and his play, putting up a season-best 144 yards on 10 catches and two touchdowns while jawing at Riq Woolen and Devon Witherspoon all game, letting them know every time he made a play.
From there, the defense was able to make key stops and eventually sealed the game with a Theo Jackson interception, followed by a coordinated Camp Rock celebration that was so in sync that even Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato couldn’t help but be impressed.
Vikings really hit the Camp Rock celly on the game-winning INT#MINvsSEA pic.twitter.com/aJhpM3wiif
— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024
Here are three things we learned from this game:
Dallas Turner Showed Off His Versatility
During the start of the season, there was a lot of excitement surrounding Dallas Turner and what he could bring as a pass-rusher. With Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel taking their games to a new level and Pat Jones II having the best season of his career, opportunities to see the field have been sparse for the first-round pick from the University of Alabama. While he has looked good in his few pass-rushing snaps, his versatility is what’s really stood out.
While Jared Verse has been probably the best pure pass-rusher in this rookie class, the sheer amount of things Turner can do makes him just as impactful for the Vikings’ defense. With Ivan Pace Jr. missing, Turner has gotten a chance to spread his wings a bit, taking snaps at the linebacker position and dropping back in coverage. This week, he came away with his first career interception.
Dallas Turner playing off-ball linebacker like a seasoned vet on his first career pick pic.twitter.com/QAvPuK6a4f
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 23, 2024
In flexing his muscles in coverage, Turner showed why he’s a perfect fit for what Brian Flores looks to do. The more hats any defender can wear, the more confusion they can sow among offenses, coordinators, and quarterbacks. Though he will probably be a good pass-rusher in a room full of them, his ability to do whatever the team needs allows for the Vikings’ defense to put their best players on the field and confound opponents at the line of scrimmage.
No Pressure, No Party
All season long, we have seen how the defense can make a quarterback’s day hell when they are able to get home and hit the quarterback. The problem is that whenever the front seven isn’t able to generate pressure, the secondary tends to get exposed. That dynamic played out on Sunday. With how the Seahawks’ offensive line looked last week against the Green Bay Packers, most people would have expected the Vikings’ defensive line to run rampant against them. But for the majority of the game, the defensive line wasn’t able to get home like everyone expected them to.
While they did have their moments, like when Josh Metellus pushed Geno Smith off of his spot to force an errant interception, the defense wasn’t able to get that kind of pressure consistently. When Geno was given time, he was able to get the ball downfield to D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett, all of whom were able to make plays against a Vikings secondary that was without Harrison Smith.
The secondary will need to be better on contested balls, otherwise, they’ll be in big trouble when they face better offensive lines who can pick up their rush.
Sam Darnold’s Throw-on-the-Run Ability Isn’t A Fluke
Two games ago, Sam Darnold made one of the most impressive throws I have seen a Vikings quarterback make when he evaded the Falcons pass rush and threw the ball to a wide-open Justin Jefferson for a 52-yard touchdown.
SAM DARNOLD ESCAPES THE RUSH AND FINDS JUSTIN JEFFERSON FOR THE 52-YARD TD 😱
WHAT A PLAY 🔥
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/WpPDLExFuJ— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 8, 2024
While we have seen his ability to extend plays all season long, the last few weeks have seen him take this talent to the next level, buying time to look deep. Darnold did it again this week when he hit Jefferson for the game-winning 39-yard score.
DARNOLD TO JETTAS. VIKINGS RE-TAKE THE LEAD.
📺: #MINvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/67RQyrb9vP— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2024
Since his infamous three-interception game versus the Jacksonville Jaguars, it seems like a switch has flipped inside Darnold. While he still maintains all of the gunslinging attitude he had before, Darnold has been much better at not putting the ball in harm’s way or allowing opponents to capitalize on his mistakes, even when he makes these off-schedule plays.
In the six years before this season, it felt like the offense could only really function when everything was operating smoothly and on schedule. Now, Darnold has given them an element of explosiveness and the ability to operate when the play breaks down. They haven’t had that ability since Brett Favre in 2009.
Given how shaky the interior offensive line has looked the last few weeks, Darnold is gonna need his throw-on-the-run ability to not fail him.
Up Next