Dec 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings took care of business out west on Sunday, downing the Seattle Seahawks by a score of 27-24 in a contest dripping with playoff vibes.
The purple team had lost five consecutive games at Seattle, a naughty streak dating back to the 2006 season. The last time the Vikings won against the Seahawks on the road, Brad Johnson quarterbacked the club, Chester Taylor ran wild on Seattle a year before Adrian Peterson’s arrival, and Chad Greenway + Tarvaris Jackson were rookies.
It’s been that long.
Inadvertently, one Viking got a bit screwed on Sunday, unable to participate in the win because of a foot injury. And that’s Harrison Smith.
Smith missed his first contest of 2024, and sadly, he couldn’t partake in the dub. How’d he get screwed? Simple — the dastardly five-game losing spell occurred directly on Smith’s watch.
Minnesota lost these games at Seattle in these seasons:
The moment Smith entered the NFL, drafted by the Vikings in Round 1 of the 2012 NFL Draft, Minnesota began losing at Seattle and didn’t right the ship until 2024 — in a game where Smith could not play.
Rotten luck.
Thankfully for his sake, it’s severely unlikely that Smith cares about the screwjob or misfortune. His team is cruising through the regular season with a 13-2 record, separated from homefield advantage throughout the playoff by two more wins. If Minnesota topples the Green Bay Packers at home this weekend and the Detroit Lions after that, it will play every eligible postseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Meanwhile, Smith is expected to return for the Packers showdown. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis tweeted after Sunday’s win: “Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell said Harrison Smith’s injury is very short term. They’re expecting to have him for GB. Also sounds like Ivan Pace Jr.’s return is looming.”
Justin Jefferson said about the current iteration of Vikings: “It’s definitely something that’s different in this locker room. And just like I said earlier this week – 2019 when I won a championship at LSU, it was the same type of vibe. The team was together, fighting for one another every single game. It definitely feels the same here.”
On Smith, it’s also worth noting that he could be winding down his career. The veteran defender will turn 36 in February — ancient by NFL standards — and retirement is near. Smith has played wonderfully this season, so he’ll have to decide if 2024, 2025, or 2016 is his last.
It’s just kind of a raw deal that he couldn’t personally scratch the at-Seattle itch, though his teammates took care of it.
The guy who filled for Smith, safety Theo Jackson, locked in the game-ending interception.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.