You all see that. Top in Points For by 16. Second in Points Against. Their 3 losses by a combined 9 points. Other teams lose one game by more than 9. Nice
The 2025 Drake Thomas highlight reel is gonna go crazy. Hope they extend him or give him the R2 tender, he's my favorite player to watch on the whole team.
I guess Sam Darnold is turning into more of a win-with QB at this point of the season, and is being carried by the D. Still wouldn't want to play the Hawks if I was any other team.
The 9ers are lurking. Any combination of the 9ers, Rams, and hawks will take the NFCW and #1, 5, and 6 seeds (I think the Bears aren't for real and will drop 3 of their final 5)
I read a comment elsewhere that made me laugh so I'll paraphrase- the meanest thing the Seahawks did to the Vikings was to intercept the ball and then fumble on the same play, forcing the Viking offense to stay on the field.
It was an interesting game. Was Seattle's offense that bad, or was the Vikings defense that good? Was the Vikings offense that bad, or Seattle's defense that good?
I think both defenses played great. Flores had a great plan against the Seahawks, and it took a while for Kubiak to find something that would reliably work. I don't think JSN was shut down per se, I think Kubiak was smart enough to know that Sam would not have time to get it to him down field. The o-line play for the Seahawks was spotty at best. It looked like some protection adjustments were needed pre-snap, but either Sam didn't know what he was looking at, or Flores was great at disguising what he was doing. A little of both I suspect.
As has been noted in the comments already, AB had a terrible game. He was missing blocks all day. They had him kick out once to his left to seal the edge on a running play......and he ran straight past the guy without laying a hand on him. Like, right by him. Didn't adjust his angle and didn't even appear to get his eyes on him. It's like he was thinking, nope, that's not the guy I should be blocking, while looking for someone else to hit. Double yikes. Anyway, the guys a mess, but that's not news.
EJ is a gangster. D-Law is a gangster. Drake Thomas......a surprising jewel. I mean, he's a really good player. You almost start to wonder whether Mike Macdonald could be given an entire team of UDFA's, cast offs, and nobodies.......and still build a great defense.
Byron Murphy is dominating at the point of attack. Nobody is moving him, and he's getting more and more clever with his hands. He's an absolute problem that has several years of improvement yet to go. Great pick, and when Leo retires or moves on, Seattle has their big man on the d-line already in place.
Lots of credit to the Vikings defensive gameplan, excellently designed and well executed. Put a ton of wide pressure into Darnold with the expected rate of blitz, and really just said "nah, we're not going to let you play today". The downside to that plan is you need some kind of support, as it's great to blanketing the opponent, but it'll never generate turnovers.
So the Vikings offense was awful, no surprise there. Our D did what it should have done and shut down, dominate and generally just go "look at us, do *you* want to play us?". Riq annoyed me on his return, play the team game and just protect the ball and not your own numbers, but it's a minor complaint because the game was long over by then. All round good work from the Defence.
Darnold was rubbish, but not because he was bad and just the Vikings D gave him nothing. What I liked seeing was our TE's in run blocking, they were dominant on every snap it seemed! Terrific support to the OLine and that kind of grinding effort is the sort of play that wins you tight nasty games in January. Big shoutout to the TE's. OLine could have done better, but rather than being outplayed they were more just outschemed and overwhelmed. No OLine would stand up against that many rushers, so don't draw conclusions there.
This game should have been dead in the 1st Quarter again. At least we did kill it in the 3rd. My biggest issue was how conservative we played on the final drive of the half, and the first of the second. Against good teams, as SSJ has drilled into us, that middle half is crucial. We should have buried the Vikings with at least 10points there, not 6. Against the Rams you get chances like that we have to at least shoot for 14! But hey we got there, got the job done, and had a quarter to relax and enjoy out first nothing-burger in a decade. Keep it going!
Just another outstanding performance by the Hawks.
How many games this year have been over early? I can’t remember another season like this?
It felt close to being over after the pick 6 and that was in the first half!
Would’ve been nice to see SD stick it to his old team. But that’s not what the game needed.
Would’ve been nice to see JSN get another 100 yards. But that’s not what the game needed.
The hawks are smart. Run the ball protect the QB and star WR and let’s keep this train moving.
Onward, great win (I’ve seen too many Colt McCoy wins in Seahawks stadium to take Brosmer lightly). A win like this against any NFL is impressive. The D Line was dominant. What a game
This was the Vikings prove-it game and they have been waiting all season for it. They wanted to prove to everyone that they didn't make a mistake letting Sam go. They wanted to prove that Seattle made a mistake signing him. They wanted to prove that they knew all Sam's weaknesses and that the game today would be a repeat of his last two games as a Viking.
Smart move not putting JSN in harms way. As long as future Hall of Famer Anthony Bradford plays on the right side, nothing good wiil happen there! He flat out can't play. There must be some O lineman somewhere that is an improvement! Good win along with the Rams loss helps our playoff chances.Nice to see that the Vikes selling out against the pass proved our run game can win !
Breaking!!! Let me know if you heard this somewhere else but Anthony Bradford is TERRIBLE! How can there not be anyone better than him to put at RG?
My take is that the Rams have a much easier schedule and Seattle will likely be a WC, even if we beat them on December 18. Regardless, I would not want to meet the Seahawks in the playoffs if I were any other team.
I like our schedule. We have the 3 hardest games at home. 2 cross country games. The Colts QB is injured and I think they are weaker. The toughest games now look like the Rams and 49ers.
Sadly, always were the toughest — and IMHO the reason Carroll isn’t here any longer. Can only feel helpless against Niners/Rams (or Shanahan/Mcvey) for so long, before you say “Enough!” and do something about it
Most of the game what you saw was Bradford missing blocks, looking for someone to block and not seeing players that should have been blocked, or him standing around doing nothing. He needs to go. He did have a couple of good blocks on running plays, but they are so few and far between, pretty much anyone has to be better.
When I was in High School, my coach told me to look around and find somebody, anybody to block. I don't think AB got that message. He just looks lost while two guys go around him.
Chicago plays the 49ers, Lions, and the Packers twice in the next five games. They are not going to win all of those games, and if Seattle wins out, they will be the #1 seed.
We are just one (more) OG #1 starter from perfection. Seemed like we had a gaping hole on the right side all game. Is there a chance Sundell finally slides over?
I wish I understood whether Minnesota discovered a new way to stymie JSN, or whether any team could do that, but chooses not to because of the ways it exposes the defense to the run.
It feels like our offense was exposed today, just like our defense was at the end of the cardinal game and the end of the last game against the Titans.
I probably have unrealistic expectations. In fact, I'm sure I do. I didn't like how porous our offensive line looked when pass blocking.
I'm glad for the win. It was hard to watch at times
I haven't watched any tape to verify, but it felt like they always had a safety on his side of the field to bracket him in coverage. The one time he looked to be one on one (with 19 seconds left in the first half), they motioned Kupp over to his side and the safety made a significant adjustment to bracket both guys. It was really frustrating to watch that happen. Darnold should have audibled and left JSN alone so he could take advantage.
- Earnest Jones just might lead the lead in interceptions by year end. What a beast. Devin Llyod who???
- D. Law is a great addition to the defense. Thanks Jerry!
- Woolen's catch was very wide receiver like and I didn't even mind the fumble at the end. I was just ecstatic he got a pick.
- Lot's more kudos to go around for the defense... What a squad.
- The passing game was lackluster but the running game was good enough. Flores dialed up a great game plan for our Hawks offense.
Some thoughts from the other games:
- Rams lose with 3 turnovers from Stafford, one resulting in a pick 6 from our old friend Mike Jackson.
- The Colts lose again. Daniels apparently has a leg fracture but tip of the hat to him, he played the entire game. His mobility was limited and he looked off. The key to the game, to me, is to shut down Taylor. We can beat the Colts. Oh, and it sounds like Sauce is going to be out for the next couple of games due to a calf strain.
- I think we will need to play better on offense next week against the Falcons. We can't overlook the birds.
- How are the Niners 9-4???
If nothing else, this is turning out to be a very exciting season for the NFC West.
I get it. Seattle played super conservatively, knowing Minnesota was playing with D only. The only way Seattle loses this game is if they give it away.
Still, if Darnold’s kryptonite is the blitz, then teams will blitz. Later in the game Seattle managed, somewhat, to game plan around it. Until, of course, they didn’t, and kicked FGs. Now, in part, they didn’t go aggressive on longer second and third downs. They settled, taking three rather than trying for six. But still, a more talented team—which means any team with a functioning offense—will blitz. The Colts, for example, have a very good defense. And even the Falcons, who barely lost to the inept Jets, looked ok on defense. And they have a functional offense. Cousins is kinda okay, and they have a fantastic running attack. So the script is to beat Darnold is by blitzing and making him show you he can pass underneath quickly. Speeding him up. Probably, Kubiak does have a counter-script for this, and probably, he doesn’t show it today, because it’s smarter not to put that on tape. But still….
I think every quarterback's kryptonite is a well run blitz. Still, Darnold is the 7th highest rated quarterback when under pressure according to Statmuse.
I think Sam took what was available in this game and wished he had done the same during the Rams game. I think we would have won the game if he had.
We have been competitive in every game this year and I like our chances to close out the year.
I agree with this. You can’t watch the Rams game and complain about Darnold throwing it into danger, and then also complain if he takes a sack or throws it short (which can get blocked by a lineman)
How many times do the passes to the right side need to be knocked down before the OC wonders if he should hesitate calling it again? And again. And again. I counted 4 or 5 in the 3rd quarter alone. With 4th and two, i went outside for a smoke when another field goal was called in the Red Zone (again). Ugh. Apparently, MM called a time out and sent the Offense back out. Surely, we have a play that will get us 2 yards, DAMMIT! Feels like a wakeup call to Kubiak. To call out changes to our OC publicly is a BIG DEAL. And frankly, I am tired of blaming Darnold for the offense's sad performance when our Defense is Kickn Ass all day. Nobody can argue Klint is good at designing plays, but maybe he is crap at calling when/where/how they are deployed? Is Sam under strict orders to change nothing? As it stands, we are likely to get into the Playoffs but not through them. We need a Field General, but who? Once was, THE COACH did it all, but then delegating took hold. Whatever. I am no longer concerned Kubiak will be getting whisked away any time soon. The good news is both Darnold and Woolen qualify for group rates in classes teaching how to protect the football.
Yeah, I was at the game and it felt like the crowd boo-ed MacDonald out of that field goal try near the end...called timeout, then sent in the offense, which converted the fourth down and thereafter actually scored a TD...
Countering the ferocity and power of today's defensive trench players has possibly reached new heights? Could be, considering the advancements made in the Sciences involving metabolism and strength training, not to mention the tech side measuring, recording and reporting on it all. Soon enough, A.I. will tell us all we need to know.
Need to get more athletes to play OL. Remember the Sweezy swap? Not saying that was any great example but always feel if you’re big and slow, go guard.
Or perhaps need to take more of those college LT’s who the pundits say might be better inside. Quicker/better feet. Bradford always looks to me like he’s My Cause My Buckets of Concrete.
You all see that. Top in Points For by 16. Second in Points Against. Their 3 losses by a combined 9 points. Other teams lose one game by more than 9. Nice
The 2025 Drake Thomas highlight reel is gonna go crazy. Hope they extend him or give him the R2 tender, he's my favorite player to watch on the whole team.
I guess Sam Darnold is turning into more of a win-with QB at this point of the season, and is being carried by the D. Still wouldn't want to play the Hawks if I was any other team.
The 9ers are lurking. Any combination of the 9ers, Rams, and hawks will take the NFCW and #1, 5, and 6 seeds (I think the Bears aren't for real and will drop 3 of their final 5)
I read a comment elsewhere that made me laugh so I'll paraphrase- the meanest thing the Seahawks did to the Vikings was to intercept the ball and then fumble on the same play, forcing the Viking offense to stay on the field.
😆
It was an interesting game. Was Seattle's offense that bad, or was the Vikings defense that good? Was the Vikings offense that bad, or Seattle's defense that good?
I think both defenses played great. Flores had a great plan against the Seahawks, and it took a while for Kubiak to find something that would reliably work. I don't think JSN was shut down per se, I think Kubiak was smart enough to know that Sam would not have time to get it to him down field. The o-line play for the Seahawks was spotty at best. It looked like some protection adjustments were needed pre-snap, but either Sam didn't know what he was looking at, or Flores was great at disguising what he was doing. A little of both I suspect.
As has been noted in the comments already, AB had a terrible game. He was missing blocks all day. They had him kick out once to his left to seal the edge on a running play......and he ran straight past the guy without laying a hand on him. Like, right by him. Didn't adjust his angle and didn't even appear to get his eyes on him. It's like he was thinking, nope, that's not the guy I should be blocking, while looking for someone else to hit. Double yikes. Anyway, the guys a mess, but that's not news.
EJ is a gangster. D-Law is a gangster. Drake Thomas......a surprising jewel. I mean, he's a really good player. You almost start to wonder whether Mike Macdonald could be given an entire team of UDFA's, cast offs, and nobodies.......and still build a great defense.
Byron Murphy is dominating at the point of attack. Nobody is moving him, and he's getting more and more clever with his hands. He's an absolute problem that has several years of improvement yet to go. Great pick, and when Leo retires or moves on, Seattle has their big man on the d-line already in place.
Lots of credit to the Vikings defensive gameplan, excellently designed and well executed. Put a ton of wide pressure into Darnold with the expected rate of blitz, and really just said "nah, we're not going to let you play today". The downside to that plan is you need some kind of support, as it's great to blanketing the opponent, but it'll never generate turnovers.
So the Vikings offense was awful, no surprise there. Our D did what it should have done and shut down, dominate and generally just go "look at us, do *you* want to play us?". Riq annoyed me on his return, play the team game and just protect the ball and not your own numbers, but it's a minor complaint because the game was long over by then. All round good work from the Defence.
Darnold was rubbish, but not because he was bad and just the Vikings D gave him nothing. What I liked seeing was our TE's in run blocking, they were dominant on every snap it seemed! Terrific support to the OLine and that kind of grinding effort is the sort of play that wins you tight nasty games in January. Big shoutout to the TE's. OLine could have done better, but rather than being outplayed they were more just outschemed and overwhelmed. No OLine would stand up against that many rushers, so don't draw conclusions there.
This game should have been dead in the 1st Quarter again. At least we did kill it in the 3rd. My biggest issue was how conservative we played on the final drive of the half, and the first of the second. Against good teams, as SSJ has drilled into us, that middle half is crucial. We should have buried the Vikings with at least 10points there, not 6. Against the Rams you get chances like that we have to at least shoot for 14! But hey we got there, got the job done, and had a quarter to relax and enjoy out first nothing-burger in a decade. Keep it going!
Just saw Ryan Grubb’s name on the list of possibles for the now open UK head coaching gig. Huh.
I read that and for some reason thought UK like England and pictured him being the next Ted Lasso.
Weirdest way to announce the next expansion franchise, Grubb HC of the UK Lasso's
Just another outstanding performance by the Hawks.
How many games this year have been over early? I can’t remember another season like this?
It felt close to being over after the pick 6 and that was in the first half!
Would’ve been nice to see SD stick it to his old team. But that’s not what the game needed.
Would’ve been nice to see JSN get another 100 yards. But that’s not what the game needed.
The hawks are smart. Run the ball protect the QB and star WR and let’s keep this train moving.
Onward, great win (I’ve seen too many Colt McCoy wins in Seahawks stadium to take Brosmer lightly). A win like this against any NFL is impressive. The D Line was dominant. What a game
One offensive TD. JSN gets two catches. That has to be the most underwhelming shutout we've ever pitched. And yet, we never let up. So.
This was the Vikings prove-it game and they have been waiting all season for it. They wanted to prove to everyone that they didn't make a mistake letting Sam go. They wanted to prove that Seattle made a mistake signing him. They wanted to prove that they knew all Sam's weaknesses and that the game today would be a repeat of his last two games as a Viking.
How did they do?
Outstanding point, this may have been Flores “Super Bowl” in this lost season .
Also, mini conspiracy theory, O’Connell played Brosmer to show the fans how much worse it could be, so they get off 9’s back.
I still am skeptical of McCarthys "concussion" that no one saw happen. I feel its a way to bench him in a lost season to try and get his head right.
Hows that for a conspiracy!
Good conspiracy!
I'll bite with a few data points:
- Justin Jefferson: 2 catches for 4 yards.
- Sam Darnold: 0 interceptions.
- Seahawks versus Vikings: 26-0 Seahawks.
Smart move not putting JSN in harms way. As long as future Hall of Famer Anthony Bradford plays on the right side, nothing good wiil happen there! He flat out can't play. There must be some O lineman somewhere that is an improvement! Good win along with the Rams loss helps our playoff chances.Nice to see that the Vikes selling out against the pass proved our run game can win !
Had Darnold played this conservatively against the Rams, the team would be 10-2. The Seahawks learn and adjust.
Seriously GREAT title! I'm liking the post even before I read it. OK, now I'm going to read it.
Breaking!!! Let me know if you heard this somewhere else but Anthony Bradford is TERRIBLE! How can there not be anyone better than him to put at RG?
My take is that the Rams have a much easier schedule and Seattle will likely be a WC, even if we beat them on December 18. Regardless, I would not want to meet the Seahawks in the playoffs if I were any other team.
I believe the Rams still have to face the Big Bad Bears, who are showing out right now.. Go Bears. Go 'Hawks.
I think I am wrong on the Rams/Bears. I think it's the 49ers that play the Bears.
9ers
Haynes was also bad...
PFF rates Bradford the #100 of guards. Then again, they rate Zabel #103.
PFF is pfffftt.
Lot of Yikes went to the tent today.
I like our schedule. We have the 3 hardest games at home. 2 cross country games. The Colts QB is injured and I think they are weaker. The toughest games now look like the Rams and 49ers.
Sadly, always were the toughest — and IMHO the reason Carroll isn’t here any longer. Can only feel helpless against Niners/Rams (or Shanahan/Mcvey) for so long, before you say “Enough!” and do something about it
Most of the game what you saw was Bradford missing blocks, looking for someone to block and not seeing players that should have been blocked, or him standing around doing nothing. He needs to go. He did have a couple of good blocks on running plays, but they are so few and far between, pretty much anyone has to be better.
When I was in High School, my coach told me to look around and find somebody, anybody to block. I don't think AB got that message. He just looks lost while two guys go around him.
I think there was a play in the first quarter where 3 O-lineman were blocking one defender.
It will be a tough hill to climb but if we win out, we will win the division. The division is ours to lose or win.
And not only that, but...
Chicago plays the 49ers, Lions, and the Packers twice in the next five games. They are not going to win all of those games, and if Seattle wins out, they will be the #1 seed.
There are a lot if bad guards out there. Bradford is basically replacement level.
We are just one (more) OG #1 starter from perfection. Seemed like we had a gaping hole on the right side all game. Is there a chance Sundell finally slides over?
Yes, this is how I feel. Whenever I start to feel down about Bradford, I close my eyes and try to remember what it was like to have Laken Tomlinson.
Yeah. RG is a top need in the draft, for sure. I just don’t think we’ll find anything appreciably better than Bradford in free agency.
And again, I agree.
I wish I understood whether Minnesota discovered a new way to stymie JSN, or whether any team could do that, but chooses not to because of the ways it exposes the defense to the run.
It feels like our offense was exposed today, just like our defense was at the end of the cardinal game and the end of the last game against the Titans.
I probably have unrealistic expectations. In fact, I'm sure I do. I didn't like how porous our offensive line looked when pass blocking.
I'm glad for the win. It was hard to watch at times
I haven't watched any tape to verify, but it felt like they always had a safety on his side of the field to bracket him in coverage. The one time he looked to be one on one (with 19 seconds left in the first half), they motioned Kupp over to his side and the safety made a significant adjustment to bracket both guys. It was really frustrating to watch that happen. Darnold should have audibled and left JSN alone so he could take advantage.
I sometimes noticed a safety shade to his side, but I didn't watch the post-snap coverage closely enough. Thanks for your insight
Some thoughts from the game:
- Earnest Jones just might lead the lead in interceptions by year end. What a beast. Devin Llyod who???
- D. Law is a great addition to the defense. Thanks Jerry!
- Woolen's catch was very wide receiver like and I didn't even mind the fumble at the end. I was just ecstatic he got a pick.
- Lot's more kudos to go around for the defense... What a squad.
- The passing game was lackluster but the running game was good enough. Flores dialed up a great game plan for our Hawks offense.
Some thoughts from the other games:
- Rams lose with 3 turnovers from Stafford, one resulting in a pick 6 from our old friend Mike Jackson.
- The Colts lose again. Daniels apparently has a leg fracture but tip of the hat to him, he played the entire game. His mobility was limited and he looked off. The key to the game, to me, is to shut down Taylor. We can beat the Colts. Oh, and it sounds like Sauce is going to be out for the next couple of games due to a calf strain.
- I think we will need to play better on offense next week against the Falcons. We can't overlook the birds.
- How are the Niners 9-4???
If nothing else, this is turning out to be a very exciting season for the NFC West.
I get it. Seattle played super conservatively, knowing Minnesota was playing with D only. The only way Seattle loses this game is if they give it away.
Still, if Darnold’s kryptonite is the blitz, then teams will blitz. Later in the game Seattle managed, somewhat, to game plan around it. Until, of course, they didn’t, and kicked FGs. Now, in part, they didn’t go aggressive on longer second and third downs. They settled, taking three rather than trying for six. But still, a more talented team—which means any team with a functioning offense—will blitz. The Colts, for example, have a very good defense. And even the Falcons, who barely lost to the inept Jets, looked ok on defense. And they have a functional offense. Cousins is kinda okay, and they have a fantastic running attack. So the script is to beat Darnold is by blitzing and making him show you he can pass underneath quickly. Speeding him up. Probably, Kubiak does have a counter-script for this, and probably, he doesn’t show it today, because it’s smarter not to put that on tape. But still….
I think every quarterback's kryptonite is a well run blitz. Still, Darnold is the 7th highest rated quarterback when under pressure according to Statmuse.
I think Sam took what was available in this game and wished he had done the same during the Rams game. I think we would have won the game if he had.
We have been competitive in every game this year and I like our chances to close out the year.
I agree with this. You can’t watch the Rams game and complain about Darnold throwing it into danger, and then also complain if he takes a sack or throws it short (which can get blocked by a lineman)
How many times do the passes to the right side need to be knocked down before the OC wonders if he should hesitate calling it again? And again. And again. I counted 4 or 5 in the 3rd quarter alone. With 4th and two, i went outside for a smoke when another field goal was called in the Red Zone (again). Ugh. Apparently, MM called a time out and sent the Offense back out. Surely, we have a play that will get us 2 yards, DAMMIT! Feels like a wakeup call to Kubiak. To call out changes to our OC publicly is a BIG DEAL. And frankly, I am tired of blaming Darnold for the offense's sad performance when our Defense is Kickn Ass all day. Nobody can argue Klint is good at designing plays, but maybe he is crap at calling when/where/how they are deployed? Is Sam under strict orders to change nothing? As it stands, we are likely to get into the Playoffs but not through them. We need a Field General, but who? Once was, THE COACH did it all, but then delegating took hold. Whatever. I am no longer concerned Kubiak will be getting whisked away any time soon. The good news is both Darnold and Woolen qualify for group rates in classes teaching how to protect the football.
Yeah, I was at the game and it felt like the crowd boo-ed MacDonald out of that field goal try near the end...called timeout, then sent in the offense, which converted the fourth down and thereafter actually scored a TD...
Thanx for this. I was wondering... Maybe Jody can use her Microsoft connections to get electronic tallying phones and pass them out at the gate?
Just make an app.
Hah, I spoke too soon. I look at the other offenses around the league and am happy we have Kubiak.
100%, things could be worse, we could have Indy’s team. They appear to be going through their version of the Let Russ Cook year.
It may not be pretty for the Seahawks, but they are making changes to keep D’s from figuring out 1 way to stop em.
I think their QB is playing hurt. I don't think he is as mobile as he use to be. They are going to be easier to stop.
Countering the ferocity and power of today's defensive trench players has possibly reached new heights? Could be, considering the advancements made in the Sciences involving metabolism and strength training, not to mention the tech side measuring, recording and reporting on it all. Soon enough, A.I. will tell us all we need to know.
Need to get more athletes to play OL. Remember the Sweezy swap? Not saying that was any great example but always feel if you’re big and slow, go guard.
Or perhaps need to take more of those college LT’s who the pundits say might be better inside. Quicker/better feet. Bradford always looks to me like he’s My Cause My Buckets of Concrete.