NFC Wild Card Match Up – Seattle Seahawks vs Minnesota Vikings
Sunday Jan 10, 11:05 AM on NBC
The Seattle Seahawks will travel to Minnesota this week to play the Vikings in a NFC Wild Card game. One thing we do know is this will be a very cold game, the predicted high (temp) for Sunday will be a chilling 23 degrees.
The Seahawks are playing their best football right now, and are hoping to have both Marshawn Lynch and Kam Chancellor back for the game. Lynch and Chancellor were “Full Go” at practices this week in Seattle, these are definitely two players that can change the direction of a game.
The Vikings on the other hand, have done the unthinkable by beating the Packers and winning the NFC North. Adrian Peterson has once again taken claim to the NFL rushing title, and the recipe seems simple, when the Vikings can run the ball they win ball games.
-Recap of Seahawks vs Vikings played on Dec 6, 2015
Things did not go well for Minnesota the last time they saw the Seahawks. Seattle flat out dominated just about every aspect of the game. It was a home invasion. Russell Wilson threw for 3 TD passes and it was Seattle, not Minnesota, that ran the ball successfully (171 yards rushing). Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater had one of his “off” games registering just 118 yards passing, no TDs, and 1 interception.
Adrian Peterson ran the ball 8 times (total) in that game, for a mere 18 yards. Peterson was visually and publicly upset after the 38-7 drubbing, giving reporters his list of reasons as to why the Vikings lost. Adrain Peterson mentioned that the team had been “out coached” in the game, a statement that immediately went viral on social media.
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer said that would watch and study the Seattle/Minnesota game tape a lot this week. “You try and figure out how they’re trying to attack you or what you could have done better. Mistakes that you made in the ballgame that you need to correct. I’m sure their doing to the same thing, as well. Probably not as much since they pounded us like they did.”- Mike Zimmer
-This Week’s Match Up
Last I checked, Seattle has the best odds of winning out of all 4 games being played on Wild Card weekend. Minnesota will have to accomplish at least 3 major tasks if they want to “upset” the mighty Seahawks in their own home this time.
1.
Stop Russell Wilson. It’s a lot easier to type that than to do that though. Wilson had the NFL’s highest passer rating (110.1) in 2015. Wilson had 34 TDs to go with just 8 interceptions, The only stat that should worry Seattle fans has to be the 45 sacks Wilson has taken this year.
In order to stop Russell Wilson the Vikings will have to pressure and contain the super star quarterback without letting him scramble. Wilson ran for 553 yards in 2015, so Minnesota will have to be very disciplined in staying in their lanes and just hope that they can cover the receivers.
2.
The Vikings will have to run the ball, and then they will have to run the ball some more. This keeps Russell Wilson off the field. This will allow Teddy Bridgewater to have some time in the pocket, and it can open up the play action. The bad news for Minnesota is that Seattle ranks 1st in the NFL against the run.
The Minnesota offensive line will have to be more physical this go around. Time of possession will be crucial if the Vikings want the score to remain close. Adrian Peterson will have to see at least 20 touches in this game, even if he starts off slow. The Vikings simply have to have a ground game if they are going to compete with the hottest team in the League.
3. Minnesota will also have to stop the run. With Marshawn Lynch’s probable return, the Seahawks will be harder to stop. I do have some concerns about what kind of “football shape” Marshawn Lynch is in right now, after missing a lot of the season, but he is still the guy known as Beastmode.
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-The Outcome
I have to go with Seattle in this game, and for all the obvious reasons. If the Seahawks can once again shut Adrian Peterson down, this may not even be a game for very long. I see this being a bad match up for the Vikings. Seattle will have to want the game more of course, they will have to protect the ball and all, but I’d have to say they are the clear cut favorite in this game.
You never know though, stranger things have happened. And when you’re playing in weather that is well below freezing, sometimes you can throw the stat sheet right out the igloo.
