SNF PREVIEW: MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS

BY ADAM GREENE

While this game looked like a slam dunk when the schedule came out back in the spring, it now looks like a Sunday afternoon 4:05 start only shown in a local market and, even then, likely blacked out most places. Still, it’s happening and a prime time audience will witness the floundering 1-3 Minnesota Vikings travel to Seattle to take on the 4-0 and surging Seahawks on Sunday Night Football.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS AT SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (-7, O/U: 56.5)

Location: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Was.

Kickoff: Oct. 11, 8:20 EST

Broadcast: NBC

THE HISTORY

In the last 44 seasons in the NFL, this is just the 18^th meeting between the Seahawks and Vikings. Seattle holds a commanding lead in the overall match up, 12-5 and even delivered what may have been the most painful loss to Minnesota in recent years in their 10-9 Wild Card playoff victory in 2016. Then Vikings kicker Blair Walsh missed a chip shot field goal in the game’s final seconds that would have, let’s be honest, just gotten the Vikes slaughtered in the divisional round. That turned out to be quarterback Teddy Bridgewater’s last start for Minnesota as he was injured in the preseason the following year.

If Minny could have pulled it off, it would have been the lone bright spot in their rivalry with the Seahawks over the last decade. The two teams have met six times in the 2010s and Seattle is 6-0, with only the playoff game even being close.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-3)

The Vikings come into this game celebrating their first win of the season, a 31-23 victory over the Houston Texans that got that team’s head coach and general manager fired (spoiler – it was just one guy, Bill O’Brien). So while Minnesota was happy to get off the schneid, no one was happier than Texans fans, who now get an early start on their next coaching search.

Kirk Cousins was Kirk Cousins in the game, meaning there were no real highlights, but at the same time, no epic screw ups. He finished 16 of 22 for 260 yards and a touchdown. Dalvin Cook did the real damage on the ground, carrying the ball 27 times for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Justin Jefferson had his break out game, catching four passes for 103 yards and Adam Thielen was his usual productive self, hauling in eight for 114 and a score.

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-0)

Russell Wilson’s season really took a hit last Sunday with a pedestrian 360-yard, two touchdown performance. I mean, he keeps that up and he’ll only throw for 4,100 yards and 50 touchdown passes this season. Pathetic.

It’s only funny because Wilson has been on an historic tear in 2020 and for him to put up an elite, but not super human game, is weird at this point. Luckily, his team didn’t need him to don his cape and tights last week, though the defense remains concerning. Surrendering 23 points to the Dolphins and making this a game for four quarters could turn into a problem down the road.

THE PICK

But not this week. The line is friendly to Minnesota, based on their offensive weapons and it wouldn’t shock me if they did keep it relatively close. But Seattle isn’t hitting the breaks until they reach their NFC West schedule. Seahawks 33, Vikings 24

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