In a wild, back-and-forth affair between two teams jockeying for NFC playoff position, the Minnesota Vikings went into Lumen Field and defeated the Seattle Seahawks 27-24.
Justin Jefferson absolutely owned the afternoon, catching 10 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns -- the latter of which served as the game winner. Sam Darnold was both efficient and explosive throughout the game, completing 22 of 35 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns, as he also connected with Jordan Addison for a score early on.
Neither team got much going in the run game all afternoon, which meant this turned into a shootout between Darnold and Geno Smith. Each quarterback made some electrifying throws, and their top targets shined all day long. Jefferson and Addison each scored, as did DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
In the end, this game may have come down to the fact that Smith made one more mistake than did his counterpart -- an interception midway through the second quarter. He was pressured by Vikings all-everything defender Josh Metellus on the play, then forced a throw when he probably should have just thrown it away. Rookie linebacker Dallas Turner came away with the pick, which set up a Vikings field goal.
The Seahawks would eventually come back from that miscue, erasing a 10-point deficit to take a lead in the fourth quarter after Smith's third touchdown toss of the game. But the Vikings immediately responded to that drive with a touchdown of their own, as Darnold stepped up in the pocket and, under heavy pressure, delivered a strike to Jefferson between two closing defenders.
Seattle would actually have two late chances to try to tie the game, but Jason Myers' 60-yard field goal attempt on the first of those two drives fell short and then Smith was picked again on a last-ditch drive that lasted just one snap. In capturing the win, the Vikings improved to 13-2 and kept pace at the top of both the NFC North and the conference race, which will come down to the last two weeks of the season.
They made one more play than did the Seahawks. With the running games struggling, we saw Sam Darnold and Geno Smith trading dimes throughout most of the afternoon. Darnold repeatedly hooked up with Jefferson and Addison, finding them for all three of his scores. He maneuvered himself in and out of pressure, fired the ball into tight windows, extended drives and created big plays. The defense allowed Smith to march the Seahawks up and down the field with relative ease several times, but also came away with two massive interceptions -- one toward the end of each half. The first of those resulted in a field goal that provided the margin of victory, while the second ended the game.
They made one fewer play than did the Vikings. As mentioned, this turned into a shootout between Darnold and Smith. And Smith nearly matched him throw for throw, including ripping off some absolute lasers that had no business being completed. But he threw two interceptions. The "one play shy" theme carried over to other areas. The Seahawks went 2 of 10 on third down, while the Vikings went 3 of 12. Jason Myers came up short on a 60-yard field goal that would have tied the game late in the fourth. The Seahawks even had a scant 7 more penalty yards than did the Vikings. They were close ... but came up just short.
With the Vikings trailing 24-20 late in the fourth quarter, they faced a second-and-10 just shy of midfield. Darnold was heavily pressured on the play and eventually sacked by Byron Murphy II ... but Murphy grabbed a hold of Darnold's face mask on the play, turning third-and-18 into first-and-10. That put the Vikings in position for ...
We've got to go with Justin Jefferson's second score of the game, which proved to be the game-winning touchdown.
Sam Darnold did a fantastic job of escaping pressure and stepping up in the pocket, then delivering a perfect ball between the two closing defensive backs. Jefferson had to reach slightly behind himself to reel it in, and he spun his way into the end zone to push the Vikings on their way to their latest victory.
Minnesota improved to 13-2 with the win and remains in second place in the NFC North by virtue of the Lions holding the head-to-head tiebreaker against them. They are currently the No. 5 seed in the NFC and would head on the road to play the NFC South winner in the first round of the playoffs, if the standings hold. Minnesota hosts the Packers next week and then travels to Detroit to take on the Lions in what could be a de facto NFC North title game, and also determine home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Seattle dropped to 8-7 with this loss, falling a full game behind the Rams in the NFC West in the process. The Seahawks are two games behind the No. 7 seed Commanders in the NFC playoff race at the moment, so their best path is finding a way to win the division. They travel to Chicago to take on the Bears next week, then visit the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 18. L.A. won the first game between the two teams and thus currently owns the tiebreaker. If Seattle wins that game, the tiebreaker would move to record inside the NFC West, then record against common opponents.
Geno Smith and DK Metcalf miscommunicated on a route that resulted in an interception, just as was the case earlier this year. This time, it's Theo Jackson coming away with the pick, which seals the victory for the Vikes.
Geno's got 55 seconds and no timeouts to move the Seahawks back into Myers' range. It looks like that might be around 55-56 yards at most, so they've got to get inside the 40-yard line.
KICK IS NO GOOD. Falls short. Seattle does have two timeouts left and so it could get the ball back.
This is gonna come down to a 60-ish-yard kick for Jason Myers to try to tie the game. VERY tough ask in the conditions in Seattle.
Awesome receiving lines in this game:
10-144-2 for Jefferson. 5-35-1 for Addison.
8-95-1 for JSN. 3-57-1 for Metcalf.
What a throw. What a catch. Vikings lead again.
We had a missed face mask on Sam Darnold play a huge role in a Vikings loss earlier this season. Now it looks like we're going to get a face mask call to extend this potential game-winning drive for the Vikings.
What an absolute laser shot from Geno to A.J. Barner in the back of the end zone. My god. And then some great hands and great footwork to haul it in and stay inbounds.
Kenneth Walker just limped off after that first-down run. Rolled his ankle underneath a couple bodies.
Great, great play from Geno and JSN right there. Geno beat a free runner in the pocket by getting the ball out JUST in time and then JSN made Blake Cashman miss at the catch point to pick up a first down.
Sam Darnold tried to fit a throw into a VERY tight window over the middle but it was just a little bit behind his tight end, who couldn't hang onto the ball while being hit by a pair of defenders. Seahawks get it back with a chance to tie or take the lead.
Nowhere to go on third-and-long for Geno Smith and Andrew Van Ginkel gets there for the sack. He's having a monster season in his first year in Minnesota. No surprise, given that he had his breakout year under then-Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who is the defensive coordinator for the Vikings.
I was about to say that I really did not like Seattle's decision to punt on fourth-and-1 near midfield, and just as I began typing, the Seahawks snapped it to the up-back, who converted the fake punt for a first down. Good decision to go for it.
Headed to the fourth quarter. Still a 3-point Minnesota lead. Seahawks on the move toward Vikings territory.
Minnesota picked up a first down with a long pass to Justin Jefferson, but immediately stalled after that. Darnold's last two passes were a little but off and each fell incomplete. Seahawks got pinned deep inside their own 10 with the punt.
Seattle quickly goes three-and-out after the Minnesota field goal drive. Geno under heavy pressure on both second and third down, forcing a checkdown and then a contested throw to JSN that fell incomplete. Vikings can make it a two-score game now.
Minnesota drove into Seahawks territory but ended up having to settle for just 3 points and another small lead. Josh Oliver couldn't haul in a pass on first down and Darnold's third-down pass intended for Jordan Addison (who was open) got deflected at the line of scrimmage. It's 20-17 Vikes.
Shaq Griffin ALMOST came away with a pick against his former team but couldn't hang onto the ball through hitting the ground. Big break for Seattle, which tacks on a Jason Meyers field goal to tie the game.
Stephen Gilmore is having a rough game, folks.
What a fantastic drive by Seattle to end the half. JSN over 1,000 yards for the season now. Seahawks get the ball to start the second half, too.
OH MY JSN!!!!! What a catch! What a throw by Geno, too. Whistled it right behind Byron Murphy's ear.
Back-to-back incomplete passes on first and second down before a throw short of the sticks on third. Seahawks get the ball back with all three of their timeouts.
Geno lets go of another pass under heavy pressure on third down, and it sails just too far for JSN along the sideline. Seahawks were looking for a pass interference flag, and it seems like they should've gotten one, to my eye.
That Mafe sack turned a possible short-field touchdown drive into a short-field field goal drive. Will Reichard knocked it through from 52 yards out to give Minnesota a 10-point lead with 3:33 remaining in the half.
H-U-G-E sack by Boye Mafe on second down. Could take the Vikes out of field goal range, depending on what happens on third down.
Ill-advised throw by Geno Smith under heavy pressure. Noah Fant was in the area but Dallas Turner undercut him to come away with the pick. Josh Metellus forced Geno out of the pocket and into the bad decision.
After an offside penalty on third down erased a stop, Jefferson beat Tre Brown off the line and came down with a one-on-one ball in the back of the end zone. Hie then Griddied in Devon Witherspoon's face to draw an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, because why not?
Pressure on Darnold let the Seahawks get away with what should have been an easy Jordan Addison TD. He smoked Riq Woolen on the route but Darnold had to double clutch and eventually short-armed the throw under heavy pressure so it fell incomplete.
Byron Murphy made the big play this time for Minnesota's defense. He fought through some traffic to stick with Tyler Lockett on a quick out, and pushed him out with a 3-yard gain on third-and-4 to force a punt.
Another three-and-out forced by this Seattle defense. Pressure on Darnold on both second and third down, forcing a throwaway and then a sack, with Reed bringing him to the ground. Seattle has a chance to take the lead for the first time.
