Dec 1, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) reacts after the game against the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings (12-2) and Seattle Seahawks (8-6) are set to face off on Sunday at Lumen Field. Minnesota is coming off a 30-12 home win over the Chicago Bears, while Seattle lost 30-13 at home to the Green Bay Packers.
Seattle leads the all-time series 13-6.
The last time these two teams faced each other was in 2021.
Kirk Cousins went 30/38 for 323 yards and three touchdowns. Alexander Mattison rushed for 112 yards on 26 carries. Justin Jefferson caught nine passes for 118 yards and a touchdown. Tyler Conklin caught seven passes for 70 yards and a touchdown.
“It’s been a different Kirk,” wide receiver Adam Thielen said. “He’s just locked in and on time. He’s trusting it. I think a big part of that is our o-line and the way they’re blocking and giving him enough time to sit back there and make his reads.”
On defense, Eric Kendricks had a team-high 11 tackles and also recorded a sack. For Seattle, Russell Wilson went 23/32 for 298 yards and a touchdown. Chris Carson rushed for 80 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. D.K. Metcalf caught six passes for 107 yards and a touchdown.
For Seattle’s defense, Jamal Adams had a game-high 12 tackles.
Minnesota won 30-17, improving to 1-2 on the season. They finished the season at 8-9, missing the playoffs for the second straight season. Seattle fell to 1-2 on the season and finished at 7-10. They missed the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The Detroit Lions finally lost a game last week, tying them with Minnesota in record terms. Detroit, though, does have the head-to-head tiebreaker. These next three weeks will be very exciting, to say the least.
While Minnesota is considered the favorite in this game, it will not be easy for them. Winning in Seattle is always tough, especially for Minnesota, which has not won there since 2006. It could be rainy, too, which, of course, is what Seattle is mainly known for. Some of Minnesota’s road wins were less than impressive, although Seattle did not look good at all last week.
This game could very well go either way—win or lose. Neither should be considered a surprise. If they lose, Minnesota still has a shot to win the division and perhaps even the first seed in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles travel to face the Washington Commanders. Philadelphia could very well lose. Detroit travels to Chicago in the cold. They could also lose.
The more Minnesota wins, the better for them and the fans. However, regardless of how the next three weeks go, fans should be proud of how much this team has exceeded expectations. The future also looks bright.
Even the biggest optimists did not expect a 12-2 start.
Prediction: Seahawks win 23-20