Game Preview: Can Seahawks Bounce Back vs. Vikings in Week 16?

After having their four-game win streak snapped, the Seattle Seahawks are looking to get back in the win column against the Minnesota Vikings.

Connor Benintendi | 16 Hours Ago

Sep 26, 2021; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) runs with the ball during the first quarter against Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

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Seattle Seahawks

Though they’re fighting separate battles for playoff positioning, the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings will converge for a Week 16 matchup at Lumen Field on Sunday.

Seattle (8-6) is coming off a crushing 30-13 defeat against the Green Bay Packers — another NFC North power that is fighting for a postseason spot. That defeat ended a four-game win streak that, had it continued, would have kept the Seahawks in first place in the NFC West.

Instead, plenty is on the line for Seattle against a red-hot Minnesota team (12-2). The Seahawks need to beat the Vikings to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams, who currently have the head-to-head tiebreaker for first place in the division.

If the Seahawks and Rams both win out, they will be primed to decide the NFC West title in the final game of the regular season. Any losses over the next two games could doom Seattle to its couches in January. Their opponents won’t make it easy.

The Vikings have won seven in a row, most recently defeating the Chicago Bears 30-12. Minnesota has scored at least 30 points in three of its last four games, including a 42-point performance against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14.

The offense is the focal point for the Vikings, but the defense has been stout throughout the season. After allowing just over 70 rush yards per game from Weeks 1–12, Minnesota has given up about 142 ground yards per game over its last three games.

Two of the teams they played in those contests, the Arizona Cardinals and Falcons, have been good rushing teams during the season. But the Bears have not been, and Chicago running back D’Andre Swift averaged 4.2 yards per carry last week versus the Vikings.

Minnesota has also allowed about 245 pass yards per game this season, which ranks 28th in the league. If Seattle can establish the run, Geno Smith and his talented group of pass-catchers could take the top off this defense.

Seattle’s defense will need to contain the Vikings’ elite offensive weapons, as wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be one of the toughest receiving duos the Seahawks have faced all season.

Running back Aaron Jones is having one of the best seasons of his career and is currently on pace for 1,579 scrimmage yards this season. The margin for error will be slim as Seattle tries to account for everything the Vikings throw at them.

Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold’s resurgence has been one of the top storylines in the NFL this season, sitting fourth in the league in passer rating (104.9). Darnold has never finished a season with a passer rating north of 93 in his seven-year career.

Seattle and Minnesota kickoff at 1:05 p.m. on Sunday. For a full game preview, check out the video above as Seahawks on SI’s Corbin K. Smith and Connor Benintendi discuss the Seahawks’ Week 16 game against the Vikings.