Minnesota Vikings vs. Seattle Seahawks: Preview, Keys to Victory and Prediction

Nov 22, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph (82) catches a pass for a 47 yard touchdown against the Green Bay Packers in the first quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Preview

Vikings offense vs. Seahawks defense

Feed. Number. 28.

This simple, yet effective philosophy has been the staple of Norv Turner’s offense this season, and I see no reason for Minnesota to go away from it this weekend. Adrian Peterson is not only the NFL’s leading rusher at 1,164 yards, but he’s also averaging over 126 rushing yards per game over his last five. You already know about his incredible combination of speed, power, quickness, and vision so I won’t go into much detail about that.

Sure, Seattle owns the fifth best rushing defense in the NFL. But Atlanta’s rushing defense was ranked first before last week, and Peterson shredded them for 158 yards and two touchdowns. However, Seattle’s front seven is much more athletic and talented and will certainly put up more of a fight than Atlanta did last week.

Through the air, Teddy Bridgewater leads a 31st ranked passing offense that has been unspectacular this season, to put it nicely. However, oddly enough, the Vikings are 6-0 this season when Bridgewater throws for less than 200 yards.

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With that being said, being able to functionally move the ball down the field through the air is still very important, especially against Seattle’s elite secondary. Between Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, there is talent all over that defensive backfield. Bridgewater will have to account for that as he prepares for the game.

One way for Bridgewater to work his way around the secondary would be to target tight ends often. With all that talent in the secondary, chances are that Stefon Diggs and Mike Wallace will be bottled up most of the time. Not only have the Seahawks struggled defending tight ends, but Kyle Rudolph is on a nice little stretch right now. Look for Bridgewater, when called upon to pass, look for Rudolph, Rhett Ellison and MyCole Pruitt often.

Overall, the Vikings will face a similar defensive scheme in against Seattle to last week in Atlanta. Remember, current Falcons head coach Dan Quinn used to be defensive coordinator in Seattle and much of that defensive scheme is still left over for the Seahawks. In that aspect, the Vikings get a little advantage having played the Falcons the previous week.

Seahawks offense vs. Vikings defense

The Seahawks put up 39 points in their home win against the Steelers last week and they definitely appear to be clicking after two straight solid performances. However, especially last week, most of their damage was done through the air against a Pittsburgh secondary that ranks 30th in the NFL. Minnesota’s passing defense is ranked 4th.

Despite this, I’m still pretty scared of Russell Wilson this week because of the simple fact that he’s very good with his feet. He has incredible pocket and, let’s face it, the Vikings aren’t any good at defending mobile quarterbacks (see: loss at home to Packers or loss in San Francisco). Minnesota’s pass rush will have to contain Wilson effectively to prevent him from making big plays when he escapes the pocket.

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On the ground, Seattle has been very successful this season as they rank second in the NFL only to Minnesota. On paper, the Vikings’ defense ranks 20th in the NFL against the run, but that ranking is a bit misleading. Aside from giving up a few uncharacteristic big plays, the Vikings have been pretty stout against the run this season. Anthony Barr is a big reason for that, as he continues to play at an elite level week after week.

Seattle will look to Thomas Rawls to carry the load, which he has done very well filling in for Marshawn Lynch this season. His 5.6 yards per carry says enough about the success he’s had this season, and containing him will be important for the Vikings on Sunday.

Another key aspect of Seattle’s offense to watch is the read-option play. The Seahawks are one of the few teams that still uses this consistently, and it usually nets them solid yardage. If Minnesota’s front seven can contain this part of the Seahawks’ offense, it will take away one of the best weapons Seattle has offensively.

Next: Vikings vs. Seahawks: Keys to Victory