Showdown with Seahawks Will Test the Minnesota Vikings' Winning Way

The Minnesota Vikings' matchup with the Seattle Seahawks in Week 13 should reveal whether a team ingrained in its way to win can impose its will against an opponent capable of matching strengths with strengths.

If not, the Vikings will get another opportunity to find out if Mike Zimmer's club is diverse enough to win in different ways against one of the NFC's most talented rosters. 

Minnesota protects no secrets in terms of how it wants to play every week. As the Vikings have vaulted to an 8-3 record with six wins in the last seven games, a clear pattern has emerged: Zimmer's winning way is centered around a conservative, run-first offense while also leaning on a disruptive, point-avoiding defense. 

The Vikings haven't lost this season when Adrian Peterson rushes for over 100 yards (6-0), or when the defense allows fewer than 20 points (7-0).

The Seahawks, who have surged back into postseason contention with wins in four of the last five games, figure to put the blueprint to the test. 

	Vikings Offense	Seahawks Defense
Rushing Yards/Game	146.4 (1st)	92.9 (5th)
Yards per Attempt	4.9 (1st)	3.8 (7th)
Rushing Touchdowns	12 (2nd)	9 (21st)

On defense, Seattle currently ranks fifth in rushing yards allowed (92.9 per game) and seventh in opponent yards per carry (3.7). Three times in the last five weeks, the Seahawks have allowed fewer than 62 yards rushing, and over just the last two games, opponents have averaged only 58.5. 

The Seahawks have made stopping the run a habit. Since the start of the 2012 season, only the Denver Broncos have allowed fewer rushing yards, and no team over the last four years has given up fewer rushing touchdowns than Seattle's 29. 

As you'd expect, the Seahawks are 5-1 when giving up fewer than 100 rushing yards in 2015, and 1-4 otherwise. Who wins at the line of scrimmage when the Vikings have the football might just decide the game.

Minnesota pounded the previously top-ranked rush defense of the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday, but even quarterback Teddy Bridgewater admitted Sunday's test will be more difficult. 

"They’re similar in schemes, but this Seattle team is much more talented we feel," Bridgewater said Wednesday. "They have guys who have been playing together since last year; Super Bowl, eight returning starters. We’re aware of those things, we know that they execute a little better than Atlanta did, it just shows that they’re more comfortable running that scheme."

John Froschauer/Associated Press

What happens if the Seahawks take away Peterson? The San Francisco 49ers, Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers all had success against Peterson, forcing the game into Bridgewater's hands. Minnesota lost all three games. 

The Vikings need to be better prepared to make adjustments in-game. 

"Well, we may," Zimmer said on Monday. "One of the things about football is being able to adjust to a lot of different things. Not every week is the same, sometimes it’s the opponent you’re playing, sometimes it’s injuries, sometimes it’s the weather, there’s a lot of different things that go into those plans." 

The Seahawks offense presents just as many challenges. 

Over the last three games, Seattle has averaged 33.3 points and 429 yards. Quarterback Russell Wilson has thrown eight touchdown passes during just the last two games—matching Bridgewater's total for the entire season. Last week, he threw five touchdowns in a 39-30 win on his 27th birthday.

"They’ve got a good combination of guys, they had five touchdowns last week," Zimmer said. "[Doug] Baldwin, they’ve got [Tyler] Lockett with speed, Russell Wilson is playing at a high level. I think [Thomas] Rawls runs the ball extremely hard, they’re offensive line is doing a much better job than they did earlier in the year. It’ll be a full-day affair."

Baldwin caught three of Wilson's touchdowns last Sunday, while Lockett, a rookie, has three scores over his last five games. Marshawn Lynch (hernia surgery) won't be taking handoffs from Wilson, but Rawls—another rookie—is averaging 122.2 yards per game when he receives at least 16 carries this season. 

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Through 12 weeks, the Seahawks rank eighth in points and yards, and only the Vikings have rushed for more yards. 

And don't forget about Seattle's pass rush, which features the likes of Michael Bennett (6.5 sacks), Cliff Avril (7.5) and Bruce Irvin (4.5). The Vikings have struggled protecting Bridgewater all season, but the mistakes have been more pronounced in defeat. During Minnesota's three losses this season, Bridgewater was sacked 18 times. If Seattle can stop the run early, it could be another feeding frenzy on the Vikings quarterback. 

Sunday's showdown really is an important test for Minnesota. 

The Vikings have proven themselves capable of winning with a game plan consisting of big doses of Peterson and a stifling defense. Can Minnesota execute the same plan against elite competition? If Seattle resists, are the Vikings capable of changing the way they play? We should get those answers. 

Zach Kruse covers the Vikings for Bleacher Report. 

Follow @zachkruse2