Sam Darnold felt pressure from behind as he dropped back late in the fourth quarter with the Minnesota Vikings leading by four points against the Seattle Seahawks. Reacting quickly, he maneuvered in the pocket and executed exactly what the Seahawks feared during a critical moment in the game. He launched a deep pass to Justin Jefferson, which resulted in a remarkable 39-yard touchdown, putting the Vikings ahead once again with just 3:51 left on the clock, ultimately leading to a 27-24 win.
“It was an excellent call,” Jefferson said, who achieved a season-high with 10 receptions for 144 yards and two touchdowns. “I won’t go into too many details about that play, but Sam and I had a strong understanding, and he found me for the score.”
The Vikings were somewhat reserved regarding the details of the touchdown, where Darnold made a challenging off-balance throw just over cornerback Tariq Woolen. Jefferson made an impressive catch while turning his body to shield the ball from a late-arriving safety, Julian Love. Darnold initially perceived Love’s position as a chance and recognized that Love wouldn’t be able to recover in time to contest the pass. Jefferson’s ability to adjust his route also played a crucial role, demonstrating the effective communication between them during that intense moment.
“I want my players to have flexibility in such situations,” said coach Kevin O’Connell. “We’ve developed various strategies for Justin and Sam to observe the coverage, and they’ve become extremely comfortable working through those opportunities.”
Darnold’s resurgence this season under O’Connell has emerged as one of the standout narratives in the NFL, a development that may not have achieved success without the effective partnership between him and Jefferson. With the Vikings currently sitting at 13-2, winning their final two games would crown them NFC North champions for the second time in three seasons and secure the No. 1 seed and a first-round playoff bye in the NFC.
“Each game reveals new ways for us to tackle challenges and adapt to what defenses are presenting,” Jefferson stated. “Sam has excelled in taking on a leadership role.”
On the positive side, the Vikings’ defense put forth a strong pass rush, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and significant pressure leading to two interceptions of Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith. The Vikings were credited with a total of eight quarterback hits against Smith.
However, there were areas of concern as well. The Vikings were only able to convert three of their 12 third-down attempts, marking their second-lowest conversion rate of the season.
Meanwhile, safety Theo Jackson gained attention for his vital role in the game, making the decisive interception just 49 seconds before the final whistle, filling in admirably for Harrison Smith during his absence. In contrast, tight end Josh Oliver faced challenges, featuring on 47% of the snaps in the last two outings—his lowest numbers of the season—while also dropping the only pass thrown his way during the match.
Looking ahead, the Vikings should see improvements on defense with the potential return of veteran safety Harrison Smith, who has been sidelined with a foot injury. Linebacker Ivan Pace, who’s missed several games due to a hamstring strain, is also expected to return soon, having resumed practice. Each of these additions will be crucial for the team’s defensive lineup. Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond has also been making progress through concussion protocols, while cornerback Fabian Moreau, who did not play against Seattle, will continue to be assessed this week.
A notable statistic shows the Vikings have allowed a 13.6% conversion rate on third downs during their last two games combined, with the Bears and Seahawks going a mere 3 for 22. Overall, Minnesota ranks second in the league for third-down defense at 33.7% this season and is also ranked second in fourth-down defense with a rate of 36.7%.
The Vikings will face the Green Bay Packers next Sunday, with kickoff moved to a prominent afternoon slot on Fox. Should Minnesota lose, the Lions would secure the NFC North title, and the Vikings would enter the playoffs as the fifth seed, set to play on the road. A loss for the Lions against San Francisco on Monday night means that the Vikings would still need a victory against Detroit on January 5 to compete for the division title.
