Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks (9-3) have pulled up alongside the Los Angeles Rams (9-3) in the NFC West race.
After seeing the Rams lose a stunner to the Carolina Panthers, the Seahawks took care of business at home by shutting out the Minnesota Vikings (4-8) in a 26-0 romp. The scoreline is unfair to the Vikings defense, who gave Seattle’s offensive line and Sam Darnold all sorts of problems, sacking Darnold four times and forcing a turnover on a lost fumble. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was held to just two catches for 23 yards, which is a huge blow in his quest for Calvin Johnson’s receiving yards record. Seattle only had one offensive touchdown, 219 total yards of offense, under 100 net yards passing, but it didn’t matter one bit outside of looking for a historic blowout.
Seattle’s defense made third-string undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer’s first NFL start an absolute miserable experience. He was picked off four times, including a wildly bad pick-six thrown to Ernest Jones IV on 4th and 1 to avoid a sack. Minnesota turned it over five times and even with garbage time only managed 162 yards of total offense.
It’s the Seahawks’ first shutout win in 10 years, having previously won by the same score against the Chicago Bears.
The Vikings started on offense first with their rookie QB Max Brosmer. A three-and-out was taken away after Josh Jobe’s holding penalty negated a Uchenna Nwosu sack. Tough for Chenna to lose a sack, because Leonard Williams sacked Brosmer on the next third down without a flag.
Seattle was backed up at its own 4 after a poor fair catch decision by Rashid Shaheed. First downs by Kenneth Walker III, A.J. Barner, and Cooper Kupp got the Seahawks out of a hole, but a 3rd and long blitz by the Vikings ended in a sack by linebacker Eric Wilson.
The Vikings and Seahawks traded punts throughout the opening quarter, with Seattle’s offensive line struggling to deal with Brian Flores’ creative pressure and sim pressure packages. Seattle did get the opening points of the day on a 15-play, 53-yard drive that was saved by Cooper Kupp. When Darnold was strip-sacked by Dallas Turner, Kupp recovered the ball. Darnold found an open Cody White on 3rd and long to move the sticks.
Darnold was sacked a third time to kill a red zone possession, but Jason Myers was on point to make it 3-0 Seahawks.
Minnesota knew it needed its defense to generate takeaways in order to have a chance. Another sack of Darnold led to a fumble, which Minnesota recovered in Seattle’s red zone. Total disaster and another turnover by the Seahawks this year!
Points for the Vikings incoming, right? Nope. Not when Max Brosmer completely brain farts into the funniest pick-six of the year. DeMarcus Lawrence blew up 4th and 1 and instead of Brosmer taking the sack, he gave Ernest Jones IV a pick-six. 10-0 Seahawks.
Lawrence would get a sack on Minnesota’s next...
