DeMarcus Lawrence, defense dominate rookie QB. But Seahawks’ 26-0 win has issues
This quickly wasn’t — and still isn’t — about beating the Vikings.
An undrafted rookie quarterback handing you the game did that for you.
Ultimately, all this for these Seahawks is about finally beating the Rams and 49ers when it counts to finally win the NFC West.
Coming out of Seattle’s 26-0 victory over a Minnesota team that’s a shell of its 2024 self, the Seahawks’ first shutout win in 10 years, the question remains.
Are Sam Darnold and the Seahawks’ offense strong enough to beat the foes they must, to get to and through January’s playoffs?
Minnesota (4-8) shut down NFL receiving leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Seattle didn’t score an offensive touchdown until garbage time, 9:11 left in the game, on Zach Charbonnet’s 17-yard run behind left tackle Charles Cross.
The Vikings sacked Darnold a season-high four times — in the first half. Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores blitzed early then faked blitzes and confused Seattle’s offensive linemen into blown assignments. Darnold lost his 15th turnover in less than 12 full games on the fourth sack, fumbling the ball to the Vikings at the Seattle 13-yard line.
“There’s a lot of stuff that’s not up to our standard,” Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp said.
“It’s going to be all over the tape. Every position, every one is going to have a hand in it.”
But then Max Brosmer, a former University of New Hampshire quarterback making his first NFL start, flung the football underhanded while DeMarcus Lawrence was sacking him on fourth and 1. Middle linebacker Ernest Jones caught that gift and ran to the other end zone for his first career defensive touchdown. “Catastrophically bad,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said.
“Got to call a better play there."
The first of Jones’ two interceptions Sunday was Seattle’s only touchdown in the first three quarters. With coach Mike Macdonald’s defense dominating, again, that was plenty to beat the Vikings Sunday at sunny Lumen Field.
“We’re super happy to have the best defense in the world,” Smith-Njigba said.
As Macdonald demands.
The defensive guru said he loves how his Seahawks “are dedicated to playing our style of ball.”
Yes, 26-0 is absolutely Macdonald’s style of ball.
That defense made Brosmer look like what he was: a third-string, rookie free-agent quarterback in his first NFL start.
The Seahawks intercepted him four times. They held All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson without a catch until late in the third quarter; on that first reception, Seattle rookie Nick Emmanwori rodeo-threw Jefferson to the turf well after he stopped Jefferson’s forward progress to end the play for a 15-yard penalty.
Minnesota gained just 162 total yards. The Vikings got shutout for the first time in 18 years, since 34-0 by Green Bay in 2007.
Jones’ second interception came off the hands of Jefferson. Safety Coby Bryant also intercepted Brosmer, who played because Minnesota starter J.J. McCarthy had a concussion and veteran backup Carson Wentz is out for the season with a shoulder injury
It’s Darnold and offense, specifically turnovers and pass protection against better teams, that now are the questions around the 9-3 Seahawks.
“We’ve got to look ourselves in the mirror and see how we can be better,” Darnold said after his season low in passing yards (128) and season high in sacks (four).
The Seahawks have a game at Atlanta (4-8) next weekend a home game against Indianapolis (8-4) to improve before Los Angeles comes to Lumen Field for the division lead Dec. 18.
The Rams came back to Seattle in the standings by losing at Carolina Sunday to drop to 9-3. The 49ers are 9-4.
Seattle finishes the regular season at Carolina and San Francisco.
Darnold twice lost the ball while getting sacked. He completed 14 of 26 passes for the paltry 128 yards; Brosmer (126 yards passing) nearly out-gained him.
Darnold’s lost fumble was his 15th turnover in 12 games: 10 interceptions and five fumbles. That’s the second-most turnovers in the NFL, one behind Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa.
Smith-Njigba didn’t have his first catch until 5:40 left in the third quarter. He finished with a season-low two catches on a season-low four targets for, yes, a season-low 23 yards.
The Vikings kept a safety high over top of cornerback coverage on Smith-Njigba. Nothing new there. What was new for Darnold was Minnesota’s pass rush confusing and beating Seattle’s pass protection. The Vikings in coordinator Brian Flores’ schemes dropped linemen, blitzed linebackers, then faked blitzing.
“Coach Flores does a great job mixing up looks,” Smith-Njigba said. “And we’re taking what they give us, and Sam made the best decisions for the team."
Darnold had been sacked an NFL-low 11 times in 11 games entering Sunday. Then Minnesota sacked him three times in the first 1 1/2 quarters. Darnold said, again, he has to get the ball out more quickly. But he’s become the NFL’s leader in yards per attempt entering Sunday by waiting for Smith-Njigba to go long for huge completions all season.
All that’s great when the running game works and the offensive line protects Darnold off it.
If not, it’s the opposite of great. On a third and goal at the 11 in the second quarter, Darnold tried waiting for Smith-Njigba to come open at the goal line on a 12-yard in route out of left-bunch formation. As he waited, his pass protection again failed off his right edge. Andrew Van Ginkel’s sack resulted in the Seahawks settling for Jason Myers’ 33-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. “Protection is definitely an issue,” Macdonald said.
Kupp had three catches for 24 yards. His best gain was for 13 yards when he made a Vikings defender miss on a tackle attempt immediately after a catch on a quick, short pass from Darnold. His best play was early in the second quarter of a scoreless tie. He ran back into his backfield to recover Darnold fumbling on a sack by Minnesota’s Dallas Turner. That play at midfield led to Myers’ first field goal and Seattle’s 3-0 lead.
“You play against this defense and what ‘Flo’ (Flores) presents, you HAVE to be on your stuff,” Kupp said. “You have to adapt and move and understand that, man, there’s going to be some looks that we haven’t practiced. ... You just have to go make it happen.
“Specifically for us, at receiver, you’ve got to find ways to get the ball in your hands and make some explosives off the ball getting out quick, and knowing you have to run and make some explosive plays. Give ‘Kubes’ (offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak) and the offensive coaches the chance to dump the ball (short and quickly) to regulate some of the pressures that we were seeing.”
Kupp knows the Falcons next week, the Colts after that, absolutely then the Rams that had four interceptions off Darnold three games ago — are going to see what Flores and the Vikings did and try to replicate it against Darnold and the Seahawks.
“The amount of balls that were batted down at the line of scrimmage? How do we find the ways to get those (plays) out of the pocket?” Kupp said. “How do we find ways to make those positives?
“There’s not one person that’s responsible for that. It’s everyone.
“It’s, how to we make that happen?"
The pass game failing, Kubiak decided to run the ball. Kenneth Walker sparked a third-quarter revival and finished with 56 yards on 13 carries.
Charbonnet ran 14 times for 52. Seattle’s only offensive touchdown came after the Vikings stuffed Charbonnet for no gain on a third-and-1 run inside. From the sideline Macdonald first sent out his field-goal unit for a fifth Myers kick. The home fans booed.
Macdonald called time out, went for it instead, and Darnold completed a 2-yard pass out of shotgun to tight end AJ Barner.
Darnold completed only two of his first seven passes, with three of them thrown away to escape Vikings rushing free in on him.
DeMarcus Lawrence’s huge day
Breaking in on Brosmer to force his game-turning interception was just part of Lawrence’s massive Sunday.
The 12th-year veteran defensive end also had the hustle play of the day. Following Brosmer’s one long completion of the game, 29 yards to tight end T.J. Hockenson in the third quarter, Vikings running back Aaron Jones caught a short pass. As he ran to the Seattle 40-yard line, Lawrence sprinted back up the field from pass rushing toward his own goal line. He stripped the ball from behind from the unaware Jones.
Teammate Ty Okada recovered the fumble to end Minnesota’s longest sustained drive of the game, 28 net yards. Seattle’s lead stayed 16-0.
The players on the Seahawks’ sideline erupted in roars and ran to Lawrence to congratulate the effort play Macdonald is likely to feature to the team in meetings Monday.
“Probably my new favorite play of all time,” Macdonald said.
“Just, unbelievable. Literally just, like, a blur of a human.”
Lawrence also had a sack of Brosmer, to the ground, without the whirlybird interception. He continues to be the force that keeps offenses from keying solely on Pro Bowl defensive lineman Leonard Williams when combatting Seattle’s defense.
Injuries
Anthony Bradford left the game in the third quarter with an injured elbow. Christian Haynes replaced him at right guard. “Shouldn’t be major,” Macdonald said of Bradford’s injury.
Bradford again struggled in the first half. Multiple times he appeared unsure, blocking no one, while Darnold got hit or sacked.
Flores had Vikings defensive linemen feigning charges then dropping off the line while linebackers blitzed free through the line. That’s how Minnesota’s Eric Wilson ran free up the middle to sack Darnold on a third and 11 in the first quarter.
Starting cornerback Josh Jobe left in the fourth quarter. He was getting evaluated for a possible concussion. That’s why Riq Woolen was in the game to collect the fourth interception Brosmer threw.
Woolen lost the ball on the return for Seattle’s second giveaway Sunday. His coach said Woolen covered for a bad play call.
“It was a phenomenal play — until he caught it,” Macdonald said.
Ernest Jones OK
Jones was down injured late in the fourth quarter. He jogged the sideline. After talking to the team doctor Jones asked for his helmet back. He got it, but by then the Vikings had fourth down. Linebacker Drake Thomas sacked Brosmer to end the defensive series.
Jones didn’t play the final defensive drive in the final minute. He said after the game he was fine.
This story was originally published November 30, 2025 at 4:02 PM.
