(image courtesy of Vikings.com)
The Vikings are coming off a big win over Atlanta and have plenty of momentum rolling into Week 13 to face Seattle. That being said, the Seahawks are also coming in strong, having won four of their last five games. Both teams have had their share of up and down games in 2015, and the experts this week are divided on which squad will take the “W.”
Let’s take a look at how Minnesota’s offense will match up against its opponents.
Offensive Line
After a less-than-impressive performance Week 11 against Green Bay, the offensive line played better last week. Only one of Minnesota’s nine penalties was attributed to the line (T.J. Clemmings), and the unit’s blocking was improved as well. Teddy Bridgewater escaped the game without being sacked, and Adrian Peterson had a big running game.
Despite losing original starters Phil Loadholt and John Sullivan, the patchwork offensive line has now been playing together for a long time, and consistency is key. Seattle’s No. 4 defense will be no easy match up, and the Vikings will be facing defensive end Cliff Avril, who leads the Seahawks with 7.5 sacks this season, and fellow defensive end Michael Bennett (6.5 sacks). Overall, the team has 27 sacks on the year. Clemmings had a difficult time against Denver earlier this season, and Seattle could pose a similar challenge to the rookie.
Bottom line (as always): the offensive line will need to be on its toes Sunday and will set the tone of the game early on.
Passing
Bridgewater threw for just 174 yards against Atlanta, but it worked out just fine for the Vikings. He made his passes count (71% completion), and Minnesota was able to use a great mix of passing and rushing en route to the 20-10 win. As the Daily Norseman‘s Eric Thompson pointed out, the Vikings are 6-0 this season in games where Bridgewater passed for under 200 yards.
In addition to the threat of Avril and Bennett, Bridgewater will need to be well aware of the situation downfield. Although Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman has only one interception this season, the Vikings know exactly what he’s capable of.
The Seahawks’ passing defense doesn’t rank quite as high as their rushing, but it still lands at No. 9 in the league. In 2015, the Seahawks have eight interceptions while holding their opponents to an average of 232 passing yards per game.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Minnesota will likely be less concerned about deep passes and more focused on consistently moving the ball and avoiding mistakes.
Rushing
Peterson thrived last week against a top-10 Atlanta rushing defense; after a 45-yard game against Green Bay, Peterson jumped right back on track. Peterson has ran for over 100 yards in four of the last five games, and he will look to continue the trend Sunday.
Seattle’s rushing defense ranks No. 4 and will not be easy, but Vikings fans know by now that if anyone is up to the challenge, it’s Peterson. In 2012, Peterson rushed for 182 yards against the Seahawks; in 2013, he tallied only 65. You can bet the running back will be hungry for a big game.
Both Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon are sure to get a few snaps as well. Offensive coordinator Norv Turner used McKinnon on a handful of plays against Atlanta; he’s tenacious and a good option to relieve Peterson when needed. Asiata continues to stand out as the best pass blocker of the three running backs, and he can be effective especially in third-down situations for either a hand-off or a pass.
Receiving
Sherman is a huge threat to offenses, and it’s not unusual for receivers on his side to see very action. DeShawn Shead is the other cornerback, and it’s safe to expect a number of plays to target his side of the field. It will be interesting to see which receivers line up most against Shead, especially since Stefon Diggs is currently the highest-performing. Hopefully, the rookie will be playing more against Shead than Sherman.
Fans can expect to see tight end Kyle Rudolph utilized Sunday as another option for Bridgewater. Despite a slow start to the season, Rudolph has fallen into a groove recently, tallying 19 catches and 159 yards over the past two weeks.
Mike Wallace has yet to have a breakout game, and Jarius Wright had a quiet Week 12 after making five catches against Green Bay. I expect Diggs and Rudolph to lead in receiving yards, but hopefully the Vikings will mix it up throughout the day. Stretching the field and using a number of targets will be necessary to keep a very talented Seattle defense guessing.
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The Seahawks’ 6-5 record is deceiving; they may not look like the Superbowl-caliber team right now, but they turned things around mid-season and have been playing much better. With Russell Wilson at the helm, Seattle is hard to predict—after all, Wilson has eight touchdowns in the last two games. The Seahawks are one of the more difficult teams on Minnesota’s schedule, but they’re beatable. The Vikings will especially be hunting for a win before heading to Arizona Thursday night, and I think they’ll pull it off.
Prediction: Vikings 27, Seahawks 24