Minnesota Vikings (4-7) @ Seattle Seahawks (8-3)
Sunday, November 30, 4:05 PM ET
The afternoon slate of games on Sunday starts off with the Minnesota Vikings going to Seattle, taking on their old pal Sam Darnold.
And this game will be a reminder for the Vikings, in the worst possible way, of what they're currently missing out on. After using a 1st-round pick on JJ McCarthy in the 2024 NFL Draft, the Vikings felt good enough about the guy they picked to move on from Sam Darnold, who had a phenomenal season in Minneapolis last year, parlaying that into a big-money free agent deal with Seattle.
The arrival of Darnold has completely jumpstarted the Seahawks' offense, even with the offseason trade of DK Metcalf, while the decision to pivot to JJ McCarthy is looking like a fireable offense for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Obviously, that's not likely going to happen, but even Kevin O'Connell hasn't been able to get the most out of McCarthy. Justin Jefferson's production is suffering significantly. The Vikings, who won 14 games last season, have been a total disappointment this season and McCarthy is the most disappointing of them all.
A young quarterback going into hostile territory and facing off against a top-tier defense is a recipe for disaster. We're going to get another opportunity, at the very least, to see what McCarthy is made of in a game like this. The Seahawks are going up against a tough Vikings defense as well, and they know Darnold well.
Still, despite the Vikings' familiarity with Darnold, the Seahawks are 8.5-point favorites at home in this game, and that feels like a low number early on. It feels like this could be a statement game for Darnold and the Seahawks at home, proving to the Vikings what they're missing out on and making an example of JJ McCarthy.
Prediction: Seahawks win 34-17