SEATTLE – Three instant impressions after the Seahawks beat the Vikings 26-0 Sunday to improve to 9-3:
10 years later
Does a shutout count if an undrafted rookie is the starting quarterback of the opponent? When you haven’t posted one in 10 years, it certainly does.
For the first time since early in the 2015 season, the Seahawks finished off a shutout, thanks in part to a couple of key sacks in the final minutes after Minnesota had reached Seattle’s half of the field.
The last time the Seahawks shut out an opponent, it was Week 3 of the 2015 season. The Seahawks were 0-2. Kam Chancellor had just ended his holdout. And the Seahawks tormented the Bears and quarterback Jimmy Clausen in a 26-0 victory.
Apparently, shutouts for the Seahawks only come against NFC North opponents. And at Lumen Field. And with final scores of 26-0.
Considering the talent on Seattle’s defense and the scheme of coach Mike Macdonald, this should have been a dominating performance by the Seahawks. And it was. Vikings QB Max Brosmer was put in a terrible spot of being asked to make his first start and the final result should have been expected.
But the Seahawks were in the range of some franchise records for a while. The Vikings finished with 162 total yards with most of those coming in garbage time in the fourth quarter. It was the fewest yards allowed by the Seahawks since another game in 2015. That one was also against the Vikings when Minnesota finished with just 125 total yards that day.
Let us also not forget that the Seahawks have three defensive touchdowns in their last two home games, this time with Ernest Jones IV returning an interception 85 yards for a score.
This group needed to dominate Sunday and they did.
Runaway duo
While the Seahawks had plenty of issues with the offensive line and giving adequate protection to Sam Darnold in the passing game, the ground game was able to wear down the Vikings defensive front.
It took a while but the combo of Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet teamed up for 110 yards rushing between the pair. That’s not a huge number, but they were yards the Seahawks needed when getting anything downfield in the passing game was a challenge. Walker averaged 4.3 yards per carry, while Charbonnet was at 3.7 and cashed in with the lone offensive touchdown of the game for Seattle.
These weren’t easy yards. They were gritty runs for the most part with a couple that were able to pop for decent gains. It’s a good sign to get at least some run game success as Minnesota probably provided a blueprint of how to attack Seattle’s pass protection moving forward.
JSN’s streak stopped
When it takes nearly 40 minutes of game time for the leading receiver in the NFL to get his first catch, some streaks are likely to end.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s streak of 11 straight games with at least 75 yards receiving came to an end as he finished with just two catches for 23 yards.
On this day, a big game from Smith-Njigba wasn’t needed. But it may have derailed his chances at threatening any NFL records for yards receiving. Still plenty of time, but this could be the game where he falls short.