Minnesota Got Back to Running Basics at SEA
For weeks, the Minnesota Vikings had the best rush defense in the NFL. They continuously showed up and stuffed the opposition. Then, that all stopped, and they became something of a sieve. Despite conditions that called for a running game to work, Seattle found no success with it.
Minnesota Got Back to Running Basics at SEA
There were questions throughout the week about what the Seahawks’ running game would look like. Both Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet showed up on the injury report, and the former had missed multiple contests in a row. When gametime rolled around both were active, but that didn’t reflect their level of assumed production.
Harrison Smith’s absence from the Vikings forced hybrid safety Josh Mettellus to change his appearance. He is often seen near the line of scrimmage, but he couldn’t focus solely on that strategy Sunday. Ivan Pace Jr. also remains shelved, which presumably would have given Seattle expanded opportunities.
Despite rain and a sloppy field, Seattle never got anything on the ground working. They rushed just 15 times as a team and tallied 59 yards. Walker III turned his eight carries into 31 yards, and Kenny McIntosh worked as his backup. Charbonnet wound up being a non-factor, and Minnesota kept the Seahawks out of the endzone on the ground.
Although the defense was plenty susceptible to being burned by the pass, they forced the opposition into a one-dimensional brand of football. Regardless of what Brian Flores wanted to throw at Geno Smith, he could plan on there being little reason to assume a run was coming. It made the gameplan more straightforward for Minnesota’s defensive coordinator, and there was nothing Seattle did that could stop it.
With a pair of strong running backs coming in the season’s final two weeks, the effort was one that Minnesota can build on. Josh Jacobs has seen plenty of success this year for Green Bay, and Jahmyr Gibbs has been amongst the best in football. Detroit won’t have David Montgomery, but the Vikings still must slow that part of the offense for both of their final divisional opponents.
We haven’t seen the Vikings stuff the run like they did in Seattle for weeks. The weather dictated that the game should be played on the ground, and Minnesota told their opponent that wasn’t going to happen.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes daily for Minnesota Sports Fan. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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