Seattle Seahawks: 3 Big takeaways from win vs. Vikings in Week 14

The Seattle Seahawks added another statement win to their resume on Monday night, beating the Minnesota Vikings.

The Seattle Seahawks got a huge win on Monday night in Week 14. They beat the Minnesota Vikings in a 21-7 win. The game was just 3-0 in favor of the Seahawks coming out of the half, but a crucial fourth down stop, blocked field goal, Chris Carson score and defensive touchdown gave the Seahawks a commanding lead heading into the final minutes of the game.

With the victory, the Seattle Seahawks advance to 8-5 and maintain their position as the first Wild Card (fifth seed) in the NFC. With the loss, the Vikings drop to 6-6-1 but also hold onto their current spot as the second Wild Card (sixth seed) in the NFC.

This game was one of the most anticipated this weekend because of the potential playoff implications. As I said, it was close for a while, but the Seahawks offense did just enough to let the defense take over and dominate.

This must have been the Seahawks most impressive game to date.

Seahawks defense can be one of the best in the league

Kirk Cousins came into the game on Monday averaging 290.8 passing yards per game with a 71.3 completion percentage. Against the Seahawks defense he managed just 208 passing yards, a large chunk of which came on the Vikings last drive of the game, and completed just about 60.6 percent of his passes. The young Seahawks secondary shut down the veteran quarterback.

Wide receivers Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs both posted decent numbers, five receptions for 70 yards and four receptions for 76 yards, respectively. Those are solid numbers, but the Seahawks secondary was able to keep either one of the Pro Bowl caliber receivers from going off and knocked down several potential touchdown passes during the game. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin and safety Bradley McDougald both recorded two passes defensed.

While the Vikings aren’t exactly known for their run game, the Seahawks still held Dalvin Cook and company to below the team’s season average for rushing yards per game. Cook carried the ball 13 times for 55 yards, a solid 4.2 yards per carry, but his backup, Latavius Murray, only managed to gain four yards on three carries.

Besides holding the Vikings offense in check, the Seahawks defense also scored late in the game. Rookie defensive end Jacob Martin strip-sacked Cousins and Justin Coleman returned the fumble for a touchdown. Superstar middle linebacker Bobby Wagner put on a show as well. Besides leading his team in tackles, he blocked a field goal. It was a complete game for the Seahawks defense.