Minnesota Vikings Fall To 2-8 As They Lose To Seattle

The Minnesota Vikings have now fallen to a ghastly 2-8 as they lost to the Seattle Seahawks 41-20 Sunday night.

Nov 17, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder (7) looks to pass against the Seattle Seahawks during the first quarter at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

And once again the blame is being put squarely at the feet of quarterback Christian Ponder.

Ponder fumbled once, threw two terrible interceptions and had a third dropped by a Seattle defender. And those costly mistakes directly led to 17 points for the Seahawks (10-1), who were able to blow open a somewhat close game despite plenty of penalties that kept the Vikings going into the fourth quarter.

The only bright spot for Ponder and the Vikings was his touchdown pass to Jarius Wright.

Wright scored on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Ponder and a 21-yarder from back-up Matt Cassel.

He finished with a 53.0 passer rating. Ponder was 4 of 9 for 15 yards in the second half with two picks before being benched for Matt Cassel with 12:30 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Adrian Peterson, who was slowed down by a sore groin muscle, ran 21 times for just 65 yards after torching Seattle for 182 yards last season.

And Blair Walsh added field goals of 32 and 45 yards for Minnesota.

Percy Harvin, who was making his debut after hip surgery for the Seahawks, looked good for his new team. Harvin, made a dazzling 17-yard, one-handed, introductory catch in the second quarter. Then he fired up Seahawks fans like he did many times for Minnesota with a 58-yard kickoff return to set up Baldwin’s touchdown.

But it was quarterback Russell Wilson who really shined for the Seahawks.

Wilson’s 19-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter — a precise bullet over defenders Xavier Rhodes and Andrew Sendejo — was the biggest play of this game, but believe it or not it was not his best.

The second-year, third-round sensation added an amazing, backhanded shovel pass to Marshawn Lynch for a 6-yard score early in the fourth quarter — the running back’s second touchdown of the game.

Next for the Vikings is the Green Bay Packers at noon on Sunday 11-24 on KMSP-TV, KFXN-FM 100.3.