Something Ugly Is Waiting for the Vikings
Think the Minnesota Vikings loss at Lambeau Field to the Green Bay Packers was a rock bottom? Let us introduce you to the best football team on the Vikings’ schedule this Sunday, in addition to the franchise’s former quarterback.
Something ugly is waiting for the Vikings as a difficult challenge approaches and pressure builds around what comes next for the team.
That’s right. The next stop for Kevin O’Connell’s team is Seattle, as Sam Darnold and friends await.
Vikings Face Nightmare Situation in Week 13
It’s all bubbling to the surface.
Seahawks Are the NFL’s 2nd-Best Team per DVOA
The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Week 11, powered by Sam Darnold’s 4-interception performance, along with no touchdowns. Darnold stunk on a big stage — who could have seen that coming? — and his team narrowly lost to Los Angeles.
Still, the Seahawks are considered the NFL’s second-best team after 12 weeks per DVOA, and Seattle has represented a habitual house of horrors for the Vikings in the last decade.
In plain speak, by the numbers, the Vikings will face their schedule’s most daunting opponent on the road in Week 13, following three consecutive losses, with two of them at home. And Darnold waving hello.
By the Way, Sam Darnold Plays There
Oh, by the way, when Minnesota meets the second-best squad in football, that club will be led by Darnold, who quarterbacked the purple team last year to a 14-3 record.
Of course, Darnold vaporized when the Vikings needed him the most last year in games against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams, but Seahawks fans don’t care about that. They think they have their guy. He might be.
The postseason will tell if Darnold’s big-game struggles are long-term.
But no matter what, while employing a struggling J.J. McCarthy, who has shown almost no signs of maturation through six games, the Vikings will face the quarterback they did not want back or could not afford eight months ago.
It’s the Vikings past versus the Vikings present — and probably not in a good way.
Oh, and a Struggling QB against His Predecessor
Before the NFL world knew that McCarthy would morph into an intense struggle merchant, it criticized Minnesota for letting Darnold leave the Twin Cities. The guy had produced 35 total touchdowns and had stabilized the quarterback position beyond a doubt.
Soon after, the Vikings insisted they had a gem in McCarthy, who, at least to a degree, could replicate Darnold’s success from 2024 in 2025.
That has not happened.
McCarthy will face his former teammate, the guy most fans think Minnesota should not have let walk.
Trap Set for Brutal Exposure
Meanwhile, Minnesota is not playing well; Seattle is playing wonderfully, aside from a couple of road bumps that are not uncommon throughout a regular season.
In all likelihood, barring a stunning change of course, three things will happen:
- The Vikings will lose.
- McCarthy will play terribly because that’s what he does.
- Darnold will beat the team that didn’t want him.
If you think the Darnold “one that got away” narrative is bad or annoying so far in 2025, it will be sung around the world by this Sunday night.
Cracks in the Foundation for Seattle?
There may be some hope, however. Some Seahawks-themed analysts claimed that Seattle’s win over the Tennessee Titans in Week 12 wasn’t all that impressive.
12thManRising.com Todd Vandenburg explained, “Darnold was just 9 for 15 for 126 yards in the first half. That was bad enough, but factor in that 63 of those yards came on a perfect adjustment by All-World wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks’ passing attack was truly sad. Darnold didn’t throw any picks, but unless he was throwing to JSN, he was pretty ineffectual. He certainly didn’t earn any new fans.”
“Darnold hit JSN in stride on the first play of the second half for a 56-yard strike, so things looked a bit better. Seattle added their second touchdown of the day with another strike to Smith-Njigba. To Darnold’s credit, both passes were crisp and exactly where they needed to be. But that was about the end of his resurgence. Overall, Sam did not have a good day. With 6:40 left in the third quarter, he was 8/10 for 167 yards and two touchdowns to JSN for a perfect 158.3 passer rating.”
It’s worth noting that Darnold’s efficiency dipped right around this time on the calendar last year, too.
Vandenburg continued, “When targeting anyone else, the Seahawks QB was only 6/12 for 69 yards and zero scores. That’s a passer rating of just 67.7. Through three quarters, Darnold’s passer rating to anyone not from Ohio State was 72.92. That is not acceptable. Don’t forget that this was against the now 1-10 Titans.”
“Their pass defense is decent, but no one will ever mistake their defenders for the Eagles or Rams, two teams that the Seahawks could very likely face in what we hope to be a playoff drive. Darnold needs to get better, and soon.”
Seattle is expected to beat Minnesota by eight or nine points on Sunday.
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