Vikes Win 8-Straight and Control their Own Destiny
If (at the season’s start) you didn’t have the Vikings at 13-2 on your wish list when Santa comes calling, it’s okay, nobody did, but we all got it anyway. The Vikings travelled to Seattle and outlasted the Seahawks 30-27 in a hard-fought (sometimes ugly) game on Sunday afternoon. The win keeps the Purple in a tie with the Detroit Lions atop the NFC North Division with two games remaining, and they pulled ahead of the Philadelphia Eagles (who lost to Washington) in the race for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Let’s go!
The game was not pretty at times, with quarterback Sam Darnold throwing behind his receivers occasionally. But he was spot on when he needed to be. Darnold fit a perfect pass to Justin Jefferson for a touchdown in the first half then scrambled out of the pocket and threw him a dime late for the winning score. He was not great throughout (and didn’t always get help from his offensive line), but he ended up with three TD passes and a 112.3 rating.
The Vikings defense was more concerning, however, giving up 361 yards and 27 points to the Seahawks, who were manhandled by the Green Bay Packers last week. The Purple rush didn’t get to QB Geno Smith until late in the game, but two sacks by Andrew Van Ginkle and two picks of Smith, ultimately helped them salt away the game.
The win means that head coach Kevin O’Connell is already 25-9 in one score games, which makes him third all-time in NFL History (extend the man). It also means that we—meaning the fellas at Vikings Territory Breakdown podcast—Joe Oberle, senior writer at vikingsterritory.com and purplePTSD.com and Mark Craig, NFL and Vikings writer for the Star Tribune and startribune.com—will be on the air to discuss it all—so tune in and check it out. The Vikings are 13-2: Skol!!!!
Gutsy Win in Seattle Sets up Huge Rematch with Packers for 13-Win Vikings