What We Learned About the Minnesota Vikings in Latest Nerve-Racking Win vs Seahawks

Sam Darnold and Geno Smith - Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

How long can a great dream really last? That’s what Minnesota Vikings fans have found themselves asking, as this Cinderella Sam Darnold season goes on. Could this team really win 15 of their 17 games, the NFC North title and a regular season NFC Championship?

Those types of seasons are hard to come by, when looking through Vikings history… and are engrained in the heads of those who witnessed them. Years like 1998 and 2009. But here we are, 16 weeks through the 2024 NFL season (a supposed rebuild year) and this overachieving team had a chance to be 13-2.

So, how did head coach Kevin O’Connell, quarterback Sam Darnold and wide receiver Justin Jefferson handle such pressure? They staved off a hungry Seattle Seahawks team 27-24, on the road, by taking care of the football and taking advantage of opportunities on both sides of the football, when presented.

Sam Darnold - Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Darnold showed his stones, yet again, and Justin Jefferson went off for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns on 10 receptions, while everyone else chipped in for 12 more, as Sam did his best to spread the wealth.

As a result of their 13th victory, the Minnesota Vikings hold their own destiny for the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed (and a 1st round playoff bye), with just two weeks to play. So… without further ado, here is what we learned about the Vikings in week 16 vs the Seahawks.

Minnesota Vikings secondary needs Harrison Smith (and the Seahawks knew it)

Let’s talk about the defensive side of the football for a moment. Early Sunday afternoon, legendary Vikings safety Harrison Smith landed on the inactive list. It wasn’t a total surprise, given The Hitman was in and out of practice all week, but that didn’t help the defensive secondary prepare for the all out aerial assault the Seattle Seahawks had planned for week 16.

With Smith in street clothes on the sideline, Seattle offensive coordinator and play-caller Ryan Grubb put Sunday’s contest squarely on the right arm of his quarterback, Geno Smith. The Seahawks ran 25 offensive plays in the first three quarters. Only 8 were run plays, 34 pass.

After running the ball three-straight times to start the game, it was all Geno. The 37-year-old QB out of West Virginia wasn’t great, but he was good. On the day, Smith completed 31-of-43 passes for 315 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions.

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Early, the Seahawks offense played the dump-down game, which helped bring the second level of the Vikings secondary up. Then, they attacked the Harrison Smith-less defense, completing passes of 17, 15, 25, 20, 25 and 18 yards in the first half, alone.

But in the second half, the Vikings defense cracked down. Geno went 18-of 26 for 1 TD and 1 INT, for just a 79.8 passer rating. It wasn’t their best showing of the season, in part thanks to Harry’s absence, but they showed up when it mattered. Like the last defensive play of the game, which was a game-sealing Theo Jackson interception, his first of the season and second of his three-year NFL career.

Sam Darnold has stones of steel

Much like Geno Smith, Sam Darnold was far from perfect for the Minnesota Vikings in week 16, but he was steady. After an efficient 1st half, where Sam went 14-of-21 for 128 yards, 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions, the 27-year-old former No. 3 overall pick stood in the pocket during the second half and took hit, after hit.

But Darnold only allowed himself to be sacked once. And while it wasn’t his most efficient game (62.8%) the USC alum delivered when it mattered most, especially late in the 4th quarter. None of Sam’s passes were bigger than this 4th quarter off-platform touchdown to Justin Jefferson, which put the Minnesota Vikings back up by three points, a 27-24 lead they never gave back.

That was Sam Darnold’s third TD pass of the afternoon, and the second to Jefferson. He finished 22-of-35 for 246 yards, to go with those touchdowns. His 112.3 passer rating was the 12th time he’s gone over 100.0 this season. It was his 11th game throwing multiple touchdowns, including 15 TDs in the last six weeks.

In that stretch, he’s thrown just one interception. Sam Darnold is not perfect, but every single week he looks more and more like the top-5 pick he was originally supposed to be. Week 16 was no different. In other words, Sunday’s performance vs the Seattle Seahawks will do very little to calm fans who are wondering how the Minnesota Vikings will ever let Darnold go this offseason.

Just keep winning, baby…

Every single week, the Minnesota Vikings have to find a new way to win. Without Harrison Smith wandering the secondary, and getting in Geno Smith’s head pre-snap, the Seahawks were able to push the football down the field. Minnesota was outpaced 361 net yards to 298, and Geno Smith threw for 314 yards.

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But, the Vikings still managed two interceptions, stretching their total on the season to 22, which tops the NFL. Brian Flores’ bend but don’t break defense was way more breakable in week 16, than what we have seen for most of this season. When it mattered most, though, they did their job.

And now, the Minnesota Vikings have just one more week to go, before what is currently lining up as one of the most epic finishes in NFC North / NFC Central history. If the Vikings and Detroit Lions both win in week 17, then their matchup in week 18 will decide, not only who wins the division, but who wins the NFC regular season crown… which comes with a 1st round bye in the playoffs.

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