The Minnesota Vikings (1-1 in preseason play) host the Seattle Seahawks (0-2) at U.S. Bank Stadium on Friday night in the third preseason game for each team. Both teams are coming off losses played last Saturday.
There’s been a lot of talk about how the third preseason game is the final dress rehearsal for the starters. Well, for the Vikings, the kicker competition is now settled. But still in flux are the RB3 job, the nickel CB spot, WR/LB depth, and the offensive and defensive line rotations.
With the starters likely to play into the second half, tomorrow night’s game could be one of the last opportunities for fringe players to make an impression. It’s also a chance for the team to see what they have in newcomers like center Jacob Judd, guard Kareem Are, and fullbacks Kobe McCrary and Luke McNitt. The coaches will likely get a longer look at those players next week, but Friday will mark their first game action in purple.
The Vikings experienced a lot of injuries last weekend but still feature one of the strongest rosters in the NFL, especially after adding former Bengals safety George Iloka to the mix on Wednesday.
On the other sideline, Seattle underwent a substantial roster transformation this offseason. Most recently, the Seahawks cut ties with longtime punter Jon Ryan, who had been with the team for a decade. Then of course there were the major losses of cornerback Richard Sherman, who went to San Fransisco (the Vikings’ week 1 opponent), defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson (now a Viking), and tight end Jimmy Graham (now a Packer). It should also be noted that starting safety Earl Thomas is in the midst of a contract holdout.
Despite the changes, Seattle isn’t rebuilding. The Seahawks added veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall and kicker Sebastian Janikowski in free agency. Linebacker Shaquem Griffin, running back Rashaad Penny, and defensive end Rasheem Green were selected in the draft. Furthermore, the Seahawks gained two former Vikings defensive linemen in Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen. And of course, they still have experienced playmakers in linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Russell Wilson.
Like the Vikings, the Seahawks have also had offensive line issues in recent years and have tried everything to stabilize the front five. Still, they’re a team that’s flying under the radar. Seattle has the veteran leadership and coaching staff to put together a solid season. The biggest test of their preseason presents itself in Minnesota on Friday night. Let’s take a look at how the two teams stack up by the numbers.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
The Vikings home record in 2017 was 8-1 including the playoffs.
Notable 2017 Pro Football Focus grades:
- QB Kirk Cousins (70.0)
- WR Stefon Diggs (82.6)
- WR Adam Thielen (82.4)
- TE David Morgan (85.5)
- DE Everson Griffen (84.4)
- DT Linval Joseph (90.4)
- S Harrison Smith (91.8)
2017 team offense:
Total offense – 11th (356.9 YPG)
Passing – 11th (234.6 YPG)
Rushing – 7th (122.3 YPG)
Scoring – 10th (23.9 PPG)
- Third-down conversion percentage – 3rd (44%)
- Red zone percentage – 9th (57.9%)
- Turnover ratio – 12th (+5)
Offensive leaders:
- Passing – QB Kirk Cousins: 4,094 yards with 27 TD’s and 13 INT’s
- Rushing yards – RB Latavius Murray: 842
- Rushing TD’s – RB Latavius Murray: 8
- Receiving yards – WR Adam Thielen: 1,276
- Receiving TD’s – WR Stefon Diggs and TE Kyle Rudolph: 8
2017 team defense:
Total defense – 1st (275.9 YPG)
Passing – 2nd (192.4 YPG)
Rushing – 2nd (83.6 YPG)
Scoring – 1st (15.8 PPG)
- Third-down conversion percentage – 1st (25%)
- Red zone percentage – 3rd (40%)
- Passing yards and TD’s allowed to opposing QB’s – 3,291 yards and 12 TD’s
- Rushing yards and TD’s allowed to opposing RB’s – 1,095 yards and 7 TD’s
- Receiving yards and TD’s allowed to opposing WR’s – 2,244 yards and 9 TD’s
- Receiving yards and TD’s allowed to opposing TE’s – 591 yards and 3 TD’s
Defensive leaders:
- Tackles – MLB Eric Kendricks: 113
- Sacks – DE Everson Griffen: 13
- Interceptions – S Harrison Smith: 5
Noteworthy stats
- The Vikings offense did not convert a third down last week against the Jaguars (0 for 12)
- The Vikings defense allowed 5 catches for 72 yards and 1 TD to T.J. Yeldon last Saturday
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
The Seahawks away record in 2017 was 5-3.
Notable 2017 Pro Football Focus grades:
- QB Russell Wilson (78.8)
- WR Doug Baldwin (84.4)
- LB Bobby Wagner (91.4)
- CB Byron Maxwell (72.7)
- S Earl Thomas (90.2) *holding out*
- S Bradley McDougald (73.5)
2017 team offense:
Total offense – 15th (330.4 YPG)
Passing – 14th (228.6 YPG)
Rushing – 23rd (101.8 YPG)
Scoring – 11th (22.9 PPG)
- Third-down conversion percentage – 21st (37%)
- Red zone percentage – 13th (55.6%)
- Turnover ratio – 8th (+8)
Offensive leaders:
- Passing – QB Russell Wilson: 3,983 yards with 34 TD’s and 11 INT’s
- Rushing yards – QB Russell Wilson: 586
- Rushing TD’s – QB Russell Wilson: 3
- Receiving yards – WR Doug Baldwin: 991
- Receiving TD’s – WR Doug Baldwin: 8
2017 team defense:
Total defense – 11th (323.2 YPG)
Passing – 6th (209.2 YPG)
Rushing – 19th (114.0 YPG)
Scoring – 13th (20.8 PPG)
- Third-down conversion percentage – 15th (38%)
- Red zone percentage – 7th (47.6%)
- Passing yards and TD’s allowed to opposing QB’s – 3,616 yards and 19 TD’s
- Rushing yards and TD’s allowed to opposing RB’s – 1,488 yards and 13 TD’s
- Receiving yards and TD’s allowed to opposing WR’s – 2,435 yards and 13 TD’s
- Receiving yards and TD’s allowed to opposing TE’s – 716 yards and 4 TD’s
Defensive leaders:
- Tackles – LB Bobby Wagner: 97
- Sacks – DE Frank Clark: 9
- Interceptions – LB Bobby Wagner, S Earl Thomas, CB Justin Coleman: 2
- Stats courtesy of NFL.com and Pro Football Reference.
- Friday’s game is at 7pm (CST) and will be shown locally on FOX 9.