Vikings Begin 3-Recreation Ending Gauntlet at Seattle

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Photographs.

When the Vikings schedule was launched in Could, I stated if the crew may climate the early storm of 5 2023 playoff groups within the first seven video games and emerge 3-4 and even 2-5, the schedule would then ease up so the crew may go on a center of the season run.

I definitely didn’t anticipate the 5-0 begin that grew to become 5-2 and put the crew in nice form, nor did I feel the Vikings would win the following seven video games (I believed they’d break up with the Bears, who they swept). However I additionally stated the ultimate three video games could be troublesome, and that’s the place the Vikings at the moment are with dealing with Seattle in a tricky highway recreation this Sunday (the place they’ve misplaced the final 5 journeys, all through the Russell Wilson/Pete Carroll period) adopted by large divisional matchups with Inexperienced Bay at residence and at Detroit.

Vikings Begin 3-Recreation Ending Gauntlet at Seattle

Can the Vikings win all three, declare the NFC North title from Detroit, and enter the playoffs with a top-two seed (presumably the No. 1 seed) and a 10-game successful streak? It could appear unlikely, however how probably was it that the Purple would attain this last three-regular season recreation gauntlet at 12-2?

Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs.

Listed below are my keys to the Vikings beating the Seahawks of their loud stadium on Sunday to succeed in a tremendous 13-2:

1. Lean on the protection in a tricky highway atmosphere, and on offense, keep away from pre-snap penalties. The Vikings have performed nicely on the highway this season (5-1). They’ll play two of the final three video games in loud stadiums: Seattle and Detroit.

The Vikings are coming off a recreation with 10 penalties, lots of them pre-snap (three by LT Cam Robinson), and that was at residence. Kevin O’Connell is definitely emphasizing the significance of avoiding penalties this week and working towards silent counts for the offense.

2. Cease the run and stress Geno Smith or Sam Howell into turnovers: the Seahawks have been whipped at residence 30-13 by Inexperienced Bay final Sunday, with the Packers sacking Smith 3 times (with a knee harm the consequence) and Howell 4 instances with every QB throwing one choose. The Seahawks have allowed 47 sacks, fourth most within the league, and the Vikings have 43 sacks (ninth most, though not as many in current weeks as earlier within the season).

Smith is working towards and may begin. He’s thrown 13 interceptions — third most within the league — so the Vikings have to stress him into sacks or turnovers.

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Beginning again Kenneth Walker missed the Inexperienced Bay recreation however is anticipated again this week. Zach Charbonnet is an efficient No. 2 with eight dashing TDs. The Vikings have been higher towards the run within the Bears recreation and nonetheless rank second within the league, however they’ve to attend one other week to get Ivan Tempo again. They should shut down Seattle’s No. 28 run recreation and should be cautious of Smith’s scrambles (231 dashing yards by him, however maybe the knee harm will restrict his operating this week).

The stress is on corners Gilmore, Byron Murphy, and Shaq Griffin over these subsequent three video games and into the playoffs towards dynamic vast receivers they’ll face every week. A fantastic move rush will definitely assist their trigger and the safeties have to play nicely in zone coverages.

4. Win the turnover battle: The Vikings have the sting at plus 8 vs. Seattle’s minus 5. Darnold has solely had one turnover within the final 5 video games, and that was because of a fourth-down desperation throw underneath stress by the Bears.  

5. Run the ball: Of their win final week, the Packers rushed for 140 yards, together with 94 yards (and one TD) by Josh Jacobs. The Seahawks rank twenty second towards the run, so the Vikings ought to pound it on the bottom to arrange play-action passes.

6. Maintain Leonard Williams off his former Jets’ teammate Darnold, and Sam should be extra correct: Williams is the Seahawks’ finest defensive participant with seven sacks, 12 tackles-for-loss, and 49 tackles. He had a 92-yard interception return towards Aaron Rodgers and the Jets in Week 13.

Jordan Love was not sacked final week in Seattle and had time to search out receivers open downfield (Romeo Doubs had two TD receptions).

Darnold was inaccurate on too many passes towards the Bears, and he should return to his greater degree of play the week earlier than towards Atlanta when he threw 5 landing passes. Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Aaron Jones out of the backfield ought to discover loads of huge play alternatives if the offensive line, Josh Oliver, and C.J. Ham do an excellent job in safety. They need to additionally guard towards the delayed blitzes which have damage the Vikings the final a number of weeks.  

Matt Krohn-Imagn Photographs.

7. Will Reichard should make all his discipline objectives as he did final week, and the Vikings want to scrub up the punt safety (with the blocked punt by the Bears on a busted blocking task) as a result of groups can be coming after Ryan Wright.

The Vikings have an edge with Reichard over Jason Myers, who has missed three discipline objectives and three further factors this season. Two of Reichard’s three missed discipline objectives have been within the Colts recreation when he pulled his quad, and Reichard is ideal (32 for 32) on further factors.

8. Get off to a fast begin to attempt to quiet the group that didn’t just like the crew’s poor efficiency towards Inexperienced Bay, which resulted in a 30-13 defeat. The Seahawks weren’t aggressive after Smith was damage, and Howell ineffectively changed him.

It’s additionally fascinating that Seattle’s much-ballyhooed home-field benefit hasn’t paid off this season with a 3-5 residence file.

The Vikings additionally have to proceed their sturdy finishes: The Vikings have outscored opponents 41-12 within the fourth quarter the final three weeks, which ought to add to their confidence that they’ll end nicely.

Predicting the end result:  This can be a harmful recreation towards a crew preventing the Rams and Cardinals for the NFC West title (Seattle and L.A. are tied at 8-6, with the Rams having gained the primary assembly and the 2 groups meet within the season finale in L.A.). The Vikings will play higher towards the harder competitors than final week.

I see the Vikings’ edge rushers and blitzers placing lots of stress on Smith, who could also be much less cell than standard, and that ought to end in 4 sacks and a few interceptions. And I feel the offense will run it nicely with Aaron Jones to arrange Darnold’s play-action strikes to Jefferson and Addison.

Brad Rempel-Imagn Photographs.

It gained’t be simple, however I see the Vikings successful 27-24 on a late Reichard discipline objective.

Across the NFL Predictions in Week 16:

1. Within the NFC North, Detroit is at Chicago, and the injury-riddled Lions ought to have sufficient on offense to deal with the shaky Bears, however they higher beware as Chicago nearly knocked them off in Motown on Thanksgiving in a three-point recreation. 5-9 New Orleans doesn’t have a lot likelihood towards the 10-4 Packers in Lambeau until the Pack is caught waiting for subsequent week’s huge recreation in Minnesota.

2. Different huge video games — there are two good matchups on Saturday: Houston at Kansas Metropolis, with the Chiefs making an attempt to lock up the AFC’s No. 1 seed with two extra wins or one win and one Payments loss. Pittsburgh at Baltimore, with the Steelers in a position to clinch the AFC North with a win, however I feel the Ravens will win to drag even with the Steelers.  

Amber Searls-Imagn Photographs

The Eagles can wrap up the NFC East at Washington. 10 straight wins say they are going to do exactly that.

3. Atlanta hosts the Giants and wishes a win to remain one recreation behind Tampa Bay within the NFC South. The Bucs play at Dallas on Sunday evening. The Falcons’ quarterback gained’t be their $100 million man, Kirk Cousins, who’s being benched. First-round choose Michael Penix Jr. is taking up.

It’s unhappy to see how dangerous this season has turned out for Cousins, who is an efficient man. 9 interceptions within the final 5 video games, mixed with a 1-4 file, compelled this transfer, which probably means Cousins can be launched within the offseason. He’ll absolutely signal with one other crew in 2025 however for lots much less cash. He wished to make it work in Atlanta, the place his spouse’s household lives.