The Seahawks struggled at times to move the ball against a tough Vikings defense, and Sam Darnold was sacked a season-high four times. Yet, the Seahawks still came out of the game with a 26-0 win over Minnesota. That’s how dominant Seattle’s defense was on Sunday as the Seahawks improved to 9-3 with their first shoutout since 2015.
Here are six rapid reactions to Sunday’s win at Lumen Field:
1. Seattle’s defense was dominant throughout.
The Vikings came to Seattle to face one of the league’s best defenses with an undrafted rookie quarterback, Max Brosmer, making his first career start. On paper, it looked like a matchup that should favor the Seahawks, but NFL games aren’t played on paper, and plenty of teams, the Seahawks included, have been beaten by backup quarterbacks over the years.
Despite Minnesota’s defense making plenty of big plays as well, the Seahawks were in control throughout thanks to a dominant effort from the defense that saw the Seahawks earn their first shutout since a 26-0 win over the Bears in Week 3 of the 2015 season.
The Seahawks had five takeaways, most notably an 85-yard interception return touchdown by Ernest Jones IV, who had two interceptions to bring his team-leading total to five this season.
2. Minnesota’s pass rush made life difficult for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks offense.
Earlier in the week, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was asked about facing former Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold, and after calling Darnold “one of my favorites,” he told reporters in Minnesota, “I’m happy for him, but we will blitz him this week. That’s for sure.”
True to his word, Flores dialed up plenty of pressure, as he always does, and the Vikings were able to make life difficult on Seattle’s pass protection, making for a tough day for Darnold.
And with the Seahawks limited in the passing game—and playing with a double-digit lead for the entire second half, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the league’s leading receiver, was limited to a season-low two catches for 23 yards. But with the defense playing so well and a solid effort from the running game, the Seahawks didn’t need their usual offensive output to win this one comfortably.
3. Ernest Jones IV was back in a big way.
The Seahawks played without starting linebacker Ernest Jones IV last week, the result of a knee injury initially sustained in their Week 9 win over the Commanders. Jones was back for this week’s game, and he turned in one of the best statistical games of his career.
4. DeMarcus Lawrence continues to be a fantastic addition to this defense.
The Seahawks signed DeMarcus Lawrence this offseason to give them another talented, physical presence at outside linebacker, and the four-time Pro-Bowler has been a great addition to Mike Macdonald’s defense.
5. Drake Thomas just keeps making plays.
Linebacker Drake Thomas began this season as a backup, but he eventually forced his way into the starting lineup, and has been a playmaker week after week since becoming an every-down player. On Sunday, Thomas had a sack as well as tackle for loss on a run stop, upping his team-leading total to 10 tackles for loss this season.
6. Jason Myers was dialed in.
With the Vikings defense making life tough on Seattle’s offense, the Seahawks struggled to finish drives in the end zone, but thanks to kicker Jason Myers, the Seahawks kept adding onto their lead throughout the game.