When the Minnesota Vikings started the season, they had high hopes that their 14-3 record in 2024 was a jumping off point. They had strengthened both the offensive and defensive lines in the offseason and second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy was going to be a superstar. That last estimation turned out to be 180 degrees from the truth and the Vikings have fallen apart. They are a last-place team in the NFC North and they appear to be locked into that position.
The Vikings (4-7) have lost 3 games in a row and 5 of their last 6, and they will see former QB Sam Darnold as he leads the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13. The Seahawks (8-3) are enjoying an excellent season. They sit in second place in the NFC West, one game behind the Los Angeles Rams and on track for a spot in the playoffs. Darnold has been one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL this season, just as he was last season for the Vikings.
Despite the success he had last year, the Vikings passed on giving him a significant contract offer and Kevin O'Connell was happy for him when he signed a three-year, $100.5 million contract with the Seahawks. The Vikings head coach may not be quite so happy at the conclusion of Sunday's game.
Darnold will throw 3 TD passes against his former team
Darnold's strength with the Vikings a year ago was his ability to deliver the ball quickly and accurately. He was able to go through his progressions without delay, and he appears to be nearly as good this season.
Darnold has completed 207 of 298 passes for 2,785 with 19 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. His interception total is skewed by a 4 interception performance against the Rams two weeks ago, but he is completing 69.5 percent of his passes and that's better than the 66.2 percent he completed last year.
Darnold had one of the best receivers in the NFL at his disposal last year in Justin Jefferson, and those two formed one of the best pitch and catch combinations in the league. This year Darnold has Jaxon Smith-Njigba on his side, and he is having the best year of any receiver in the league.
Smith-Njigba has caught 80 passes for 1,313 yards and 7 touchdowns. He has caught an eye-catching 21 passes that have resulted in gains of 20 yards or more. He has excellent speed, and like Jefferson, he runs exacting routes that allows him to lose contact with defensive backs. He also will fight for the ball and win the battle on 50-50 balls.
Smith-Njigba has support from veteran wideout Cooper Kupp. The former Rams All-Pro has caught 31-414-1 this season, while tight end AJ Barner has contributed 33-324-4. Barner is a surprising red zone target and a find 3rd-down weapon.
Expect Smith-Njigba to catch two of Darnold's scoring throws and Barner to catch the third.
Jefferson's will catch 1 TD pass with rookie Max Brosmer at quarterback
McCarthy is in the concussion protocol and unless there is a dramatic turnaround late in the week, free agent rookie quarterback Max Brosmer will get the start for the Vikings under center.
McCarthy's brutal performance has been off the charts as he is completing just 54.1 percent of his passes for the paltry total of 929 yards in 6 games. He has a painful 6-10 TD-interception ratio, and the Vikings offense appeared hopeless in recent weeks.
The belief is that Brosmer will be somewhat better, and that's good news for Jefferson and Jordan Addison, the Vikings' top two wide receivers. It should also be beneficial for running backs Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones.
Brosmer is not a miracle worker and the Vikings will have a difficult time staying in this game past halftime. However, he will be able to move the ball against Seattle's 14th-ranked pass defense.
O'Connell can be expected to give Brosmer a couple of “easy” completions to start the game, but that's just where Brosmer might find some early success. Instead of throwing a short-yardage pass on his first or second throw of the day, he will go deep to Jefferson against the unsuspecting Seahawks.
That play could result in a long touchdown, but the Seahawks will respond by increasing the pressure with defensive end Leonard Williams and defensive tackle Byron Murphy. Both have 6.0 sacks and will make life challenging for they untested rookie.
The Seahawks continue their success in this game while the misery index continues to cause pain for the Vikings.
