Seahawks vs. Vikings: Full Minnesota Game Preview

"The Seattle Seahawks have traded the 32nd pick to the Minnesota Vikings. With the 32nd pick in the 2014 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Teddy Bridgewater, quarterback, Louisville."

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced these words, locking in the Vikings' selection of Bridgewater with the final pick of the first round in 2014, and the organization has been trending in the right direction ever since.

Of course, the hiring of head coach Mike Zimmer a few months earlier marked a significant moment for Minnesota as well, but it is hard to imagine the Vikings sitting atop the NFC North division with an 8-3 record without No. 5 calling the shots under center.

Roughly 18 months after Seahawks general manager John Schneider sent pick No. 32 to the Vikings in exchange for 2014 selections No. 40 (subsequently traded) and No. 108 (Cassius Marsh), Minnesota will welcome the organization that unknowingly played such an integral role in its emergence as a true playoff contender this season to TCF Bank Stadium this coming Sunday.

This, however, was not the first trade between Vikings GM Rick Spielman and Schneider that has been key to Minnesota's roster development. Almost exactly one year earlier, Spielman sent arguably his most talented player other than Adrian Peterson to Seattle for selections No. 25 in 2013 and No. 96 in 2014.

Percy Harvin, who had become an issue in the Vikings locker room, played a minor role in Seattle's 2013 Super Bowl championship, but he struggled to stay healthy throughout the majority of his Seahawks tenure. Schneider ultimately flipped the disgruntled playmaker to the New York Jets in exchange for what ultimately was determined as 2015 selection No. 181 (subsequently traded).

Trading Harvin initially had many fans calling for his job, but Spielman later utilized the acquired selections to draft cornerback Xavier Rhodes (No. 25, 2013) and running back Jerick McKinnon (No. 96, 2014).

Minnesota has since been named the certain victor of this trade, and it's fairly easy to see why given the early-career production of both Rhodes and McKinnon.

Schneider is so talented at building championship-caliber rosters through the draft that he not only earned Seattle its first Super Bowl in franchise history but nudged Minnesota in that general direction as well with a pair of franchise-altering trades.

The Vikings whiffed on their last chance against a consensus playoff contender, but they will have an opportunity to redeem themselves against the defending NFC champions this Sunday.

Location: TCF Bank Stadium, Minneapolis

Time: Noon CT/1 p.m. ET

TV: Channel 9 Fox KMSP (Local)

Week 12 Results and Recap

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The Vikings did not stay down for long following a discouraging Week 11 loss to the Packers, getting right back on the horse with a 20-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

Minnesota opened the scoring on its second offensive possession, as Teddy Bridgewater guided his team down the field to set up a one-yard touchdown run by Adrian Peterson. 

Tevin Coleman and Atlanta appeared poised to strike back immediately on their very next offensive play, but Anthony Barr made potentially the Vikings' defensive play of the year to squash this effort. After initially being knocked to the ground while the outside rush attempt developed, Barr sprung to his feet and bolted after the rookie running back.

Topping out at a ridiculous 19 mph, per Scout.com, the second-year athletic freak from UCLA closed in on Coleman's carrying side and popped the ball loose; Antone Exum, who played a key role in slowing the rush downfield to allow Barr enough time to close the gap, recovered Coleman's third fumble of the season to get Minnesota's offense back onto the field.

Possessing the entirety of the game's momentum, Bridgewater began to lead another progressive drive down field. However, the second-year quarterback threw one of his uglier interceptions of the season, allowing Atlanta to regain its composure. Falcons safety Ricardo Allen did not bite on the Viking signal-caller's pump-fake, remaining in perfect position to pop in front of the downfield seam route headed directly toward tight end Kyle Rudolph in the end zone.

With a chance to take an outright advantage later in the second half, Matt Ryan made a mistake that has become far too familiar this season. Minnesota's pass rush flushed the Atlanta quarterback out of the pocket to his left side—giving him less control of his right-armed throwing motion—before he tossed interception No. 2 of the game and No. 12 on the season into the open arms of veteran Terence Newman.

Blair Walsh, who converted three of three attempts, mixed in a pair of field goals, and Peterson put the nail in the coffin with a 35-yard rushing touchdown late in the fourth quarter to open up a 20-3 lead. Ryan led a garbage-time touchdown drive on the ensuing position, finding receiver Nick Williams from one yard out with the clock closing in on the one-minute mark.

Bridgewater then finished the game in Mike Zimmer's favorite alignment—the victory formation.

NFC North Standings

1. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)
2. Green Bay Packers (7-4)
3. Chicago Bears (5-6)
4. Detroit Lions (4-7)

Don't look now, but Chicago and Detroit have fought back into playoff contention due to a rather top-heavy conference. Look now—Minnesota is on top of the NFC North through Week 12.

News and Notes

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

LB Chad Greenway Nominated for Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Criticism of veteran linebacker Chad Greenway's performance level at this stage of his career is warranted, but any sort of assassination of his person or character is unacceptable. This was reinforced for the third time in five years on Wednesday when the former first-round pick out of Iowa received another nomination for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, according to Chris Tomasson of the Saint Paul Pioneer Press.

The nomination is an acknowledgment of Greenway's constant work within the community. He will have the opportunity to become the third Viking to win the award since its establishment in 1970, following Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter (1999) and Madieu Williams (2010), the Vikings starting free safety during the magical Brett Favre-led season in 2009.

Greenway, who is playing in his ninth season with the Vikings, represents all that is good about the NFL. He is the antithesis of the genuinely appalling and despicable athletes such as Greg Hardy, who remain relevant due to their athletic skills.

For those who have questioned whether it is morally acceptable to watch the NFL with Hardy, Prince Shembo and Junior Galette all free to earn millions of dollars for their favorable skill sets, Greenway has consistently exemplified that there are good, charitable players in the NFL as well.

Greenway, Thomas Davis, Charles Tillman, Drew Brees, Kurt Warner, LaDainian Tomlinson, Peyton Manning, etc.—these are the true heroes of professional football; they are the ones who balance out the savagery that runs rampant in the contemporary NFL.

For as much personal respect that I have for all the aforementioned players, Greenway will always be a special athlete to me. He was the first Vikings player I had a chance to interview at length—coincidentally, this occurred at a charity event. Not only was Greenway informative and kind, but he treated me respectfully despite my being a young reporter. He treated me as though I was knowledgeable about the subject matter.

Greenway is the Man of the Year even if he is not selected as the award's winner on February 6, 2016. He is both a role-model athlete and person in every way; there isn't a trophy big enough for having these traits.

Vikings Sign S John Lowdermilk to Practice Squad; Waive LB Terrance Plummer

Backing out of the sentimental garage and into the sweaty, bloody and beautiful game of football once again, Minnesota announced another practice-squad move on Monday via the team's official website.

The Vikings agreed to terms with safety John Lowdermilk, a former Iowa Hawkeye, undrafted signee and final-round cut of the San Diego Chargers. He is yet to record a regular-season statistic during this brief NFL career, but he tallied eight tackles while receiving playing time in all four Chargers preseason games.

In order to open up a practice-squad spot, Minnesota waived linebacker Terrance Plummer, who was originally signed at the end of October.

Most importantly, however, Lowdermilk is a Minnesota native, hailing from Edina. Correspondingly, he is from Minnesota because his father, Kirk Lowdermilk, played center for eight seasons with the Vikings from 1985 to 1992.

Lowdermilk, who does not showcase much upside within his college tape, appears to represent an emergency option and potential practice-squad replacement for rookie Anthony Harris, who has realistically been a candidate for the 53-man roster spot since being signed following the draft.

Simply, if Lowdermilk is seen on the field during a regular-season game with the Vikings, it almost certainly means that Harrison Smith, Andrew Sendejo, Robert Blanton, Antone Exum and Anthony Harris have all been ruled inactive because of injuries.

He looks like a perfect candidate for a scout team role, which could be the reasoning behind the signing. He may execute a technique similar to a key Seahawks player, for example. Assuming this to be the case, he would likely be released shortly following Sunday's contest.

Bonus News and Notes

The following list is composed of articles containing general team information, updates and matchup-specific statistics related to Minnesota's Week 13 contest with Seattle:

• Snap Count Observations — Matt Vensel, Star Tribune
• Seahawks Make Good Use of Read Option — Matt Vensel, Star Tribune
• CB Xavier Rhodes Shuts Down Julio Jones — Mark Craig, Star Tribune
• New Vikings President Tanya Dreesen Focused on Fans — Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune
• RB Adrian Peterson Looking Forward to Challenge of Seahawks — Bob Condotta, Seattle Times
• Vikings Can Earn Respect Against Seahawks — Fran Tarkenton, Pioneer Press
• RB Adrian Peterson Close to 2012 Pace — Ben Goessling, ESPN.com
• Statistics to Know About RB Adrian Peterson — Jessie Kavana, ESPN.com
• CB Captain Munnerlyn Tragedy Paved Road to Restoration — Ben Goessling, ESPN.com
• RT Phil Loadholt Receives Ed Block Courage Award — Vikings.com
• Former Vikings GM Jeff Diamond Would Have Traded RB Adrian Peterson — Sporting News (h/t Brian Jones, 247Sports)
• Mike Zimmer Wants Wins, Not Style Points — UPI
• Less is More for QB Teddy Bridgewater — Zach Kruse, Bleacher Report
• RB Adrian Peterson Reminds NFL He's the Best — Cian Fahey, Bleacher Report
• Vikings Christmas List — Austin Belisle, Vikings Territory
• Norv Turner Offense Too Often Punchless — Brent LaBathe, Vikings Territory
• Vikings-Seahawks Brief History — Christopher Gates, Daily Norseman
• Anthony Barr One of the Best Even with One Hand — Christopher Gates, Daily Norseman
• Rhodes Closing in Minnesota — Austin Belisle, NFC North Barroom
• Raising the Barr — Drew Mahowald, NFC North Barroom
• 37 Facts About the NFC North — Kent Platte, NFC North Barroom

Latest Injury News

Jeff Haynes/Associated Press

Vikings Wednesday Injury Report (6)

Did Not Practice (2)

• DT Linval Joseph (Foot)
• SS Andrew Sendejo (Knee)

Limited Practice (2)

• FS Harrison Smith (Knee)
• LB Anthony Barr (Hand/Groin)

Full Practice (2)

• SS Robert Blanton (Ankle)
• CB Trae Waynes (Ankle)

Key Injuries

DT Linval Joseph (Foot)

Minnesota is seemingly getting collectively healthier, but the NFL injury overlords decided to give the Vikings a nice gut punch Wednesday. If asked to state the top three most important players to Mike Zimmer's defensive scheme, the answer should unequivocally include both nose tackle Linval Joseph and jack-of-all-trades defensive back Harrison Smith.

In terms of the seriousness of Joseph's foot injury, it appears to be a situation with high volatility, and there seems to be a realistic possibility of his missing Sunday's action against Seattle.

As it turns out, weighing 328 pounds (hard to imagine this listing is even close to accurate; he's likely much heavier) puts quite a bit of pressure on his feet with every movement—especially the fast-twitch power moves, which have allowed him to be unstoppable at times this season.

This may prove to be an insignificant ailment, but lower-extremity injuries for hulking men who possess seemingly unnatural athleticism relative to their weight can be dangerous. Obviously, the fact that Joseph did not even making it out of the locker room for Wednesday practice isn't a positive sign.

Until there is an injury- or timetable-specific update from a coach or trainer, no news on this injury should come as a shock. Joseph's availability this weekend will hinge on how damaged his foot is, and until a diagnosis is given, he could be dealing with anything from a deep bruise to four broken toes.

The process necessary for healing an injured foot, however, does not correlate well with toughing it out, which means injury severity may not even play a role in determining if he is active Sunday. Foot injuries require a lot of sitting down, an ice wrap strapped to the area and slight elevation of the injured extremity to maintain a consistent blood flow to heal effectively.

Unfortunately, bull-rushing 320-pound men is not on the list of remedial techniques.

FS Harrison Smith (Knee)

Unlike with Joseph, there are plenty of optimistic reports regarding Smith's likelihood of playing this Sunday. The Vikings All-Pro-worthy safety was kind enough to give the update himself, which makes speculation based on previous accounts unnecessary and, as a result, provides a much more positive update compared to the former.

“I figure I’ll know by after Friday’s practice,” Smith said, per Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN. “I’m still not doing everything right now, but I’ll get more action tomorrow.”

The fact that Smith is on the field at all on Wednesday is a big step in the right direction, and given his toughness—both mental and physical—the safe money is likely on him participating in some capacity Sunday.

Injury report courtesy of Vikings.com.

Key Matchups

David Goldman/Associated Press

QB Teddy Bridgewater vs. Legion of Boom

With Dan Quinn at the helm of the defense in Atlanta, the Falcons secondary coverage scheme is essentially Seahawks-lite in comparison to defensive back responsibilities. Obviously, Quinn and Pete Carroll are not going to call the exact same game—and if they were, that would either represent a New England Patriots agenda or the result of a 50-plus-year marriage.

In addition, Seattle's level of talent on the back end is in a different league entirely; Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Kam Chancellor and "other person" represents a coverage unit that surpasses the talent level not only of the Falcons but almost every other professional defensive secondary by a significant margin.

The only units capable of competing from both an athleticism and execution standpoint are the Arizona Cardinals—Minnesota's Week 14 opponent—and the 11-0 Carolina Panthers (who receive an unquantifiable amount of help from an outstanding defensive line).

A brief glance at Seattle's secondary coverage reveals not only this immense talent diversified between three of the best defensive backs in the NFL but also a high level of complexity.

"Immense talent" and "high complexity" are two of the most dangerous elements for a young, relatively inexperienced signal-caller. Add in that it remains apparent that Teddy Bridgewater is still improving his mental toughness, comfortability within Norv Turner's Adrian Peterson-led offense and confidence in both his natural talent and physical abilities, and a recipe for disaster may be brewing.

The only edges the Vikings quarterback maintains are fairly important, however. Peterson's presence should force eight-man fronts, which either makes throwing into zone coverage easier or telegraphs Carroll's pattern-matching coverage scheme, effectively taking away a key reason for its effectiveness.

Peterson is going to be the focal point; there is no doubt about this anymore. However, with Michael Bennett, Cliff Avril, K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner among the Seahawks in the box on nearly every play, Bridgewater will need to find a way to be efficient throwing the ball to some degree.

Minnesota's running back is a man among boys, and he has proved capable of creating without help, but this is not nearly as simple against a team that refuses to miss tackles—a key reason for Peterson's increase in efficiency and consistency as of late.

DE Everson Griffen vs. LT Russell Okung

This game boils down to two head-to-head matchups more than anything else; Minnesota's young quarterback against a generational pass coverage unit and the Vikings' quietly elite pass-rusher against Seattle's only true consistent line of defense from Russell Wilson being sacked on every play.

With former Seahawks center Max Unger blocking for Drew Brees in New Orleans this season following the offseason Jimmy Graham trade, Seattle's offensive line has taken a turn for the worse. Right tackle Gary Gilliam, right guard J.R. Sweezy and left guard Justin Britt are each among the worst in the NFL in terms of pass-blocking efficiency and consistency.

According to Pro Football Focus, the Seahawks offensive line ranks as the NFL's second-worst unit in pass-blocking efficiency (72.1). Per standard for Vikings fans, the only five-man front performing at an even lower level than Seattle is Minnesota (71.1).

Wilson has been pressured a total of 145 times this season, which comes in as the fifth-highest total in the NFL; the San Diego Chargers' line of third-stringers comes in with the top score at 174.

The only bright spot for the Seahawks—and to be brutally honest, the "bulb" isn't exactly lighting up the room—is Okung, Wilson's blindside protector. He has struggled to a degree as well, having allowed three sacks, four hits and 19 hurries for a total of 26 pressures, but that total number of pressures looks just fine compared to Gilliam's 39—from the right side too, per Pro Football Focus.

Simply put, this in-game matchup could decide an overall advantage, given that Linval Joseph (hopefully), Tom Johnson, Sharrif Floyd, Brian Robison and Danielle Hunter—all talented, athletic and above-average pass-rush weapons—will square off against blockers who might better suited for the collegiate level given their performance to date.

If Griffen dominates Okung, as he is capable of doing, the Vikings will have Wilson running for his life all afternoon, making this a game based on discipline, tackling efficiency and a strong understanding of positional assignments—areas that Mike Zimmer's defense is either the best or among the best relative to the rest of the league.

Matchup X-Factors

Tom Dahlin/Getty Images

Vikings X-Factor of the Week: RT T.J. Clemmings

Cliff Avril, Michael Bennett, Frank Clark, Bruce Irvin, K.J. Wright—there simply is not a single pass-rusher on Seattle's defense that T.J. Clemmings has a remote advantage against. Throw in that safety Kam Chancellor knocks out linemen for pleasure and with regularity, and Sunday's matchup has the outlook of a career-worst performance from the rookie out of Pittsburgh.

Clemmings is a fourth-round pick who is was not expected to receive playing time this season barring an injury to Phil Loadholt. He is still learning the nuances and intricate techniques of being an offensive lineman, as he has yet to log half a decade's worth of total years at the tackle position. His expectations should be low, but he has been an even greater liability at times than the replacement-level goals set for him by fans and coaches alike.

His overall performance has to begin to get better at some point, as he has yet to show any real noticeable improvement over the course of 11 professional games. This likely is not the week when he turns the corner, but if he can even play at an average level against a group of players built to feast on players of his variety, it would give Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson and the entire offense a significant boost.

Seahawks X-Factor of the Week: WR Doug Baldwin

With Marshawn Lynch out due to injury on and off this season, rookie undrafted running back Thomas Rawls has filled in spectacularly. In fact, there is a reasonable argument that he has been the best first-year rusher this season—yes, this includes Todd Gurley.

A Lynch-less Seattle team requires a different defensive game plan altogether—even if Rawls is running the ball well; he's not and can never be Beast Mode. Planning to stop the Seahawks without the player who has defined their offensive style over their dynasty-caliber run is right on par with Minnesota losing Peterson for all of the 2014 season.

What makes Seattle's offense even stranger, however, is a completely revamped passing game that has asked Wilson to throw the ball all over the place. During the Seahawks' first run to the Super Bowl, it was rare to see him take a single aerial risk over the course of an entire game; now he is often taking two or three per set of downs.

Heading into Week 11, Wilson had thrown 10 total touchdown passes. In Seattle's past two matchups against the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers—granted, subpar pass defenses—he has thrown eight scores against zero interceptions.

Comically, Jimmy Graham was hardly even a part of this offensive change, as he honestly may have negatively impacted the operation Wilson is running. Doug Baldwin, on the other hand, has been a game-changer—both in terms of downfield passing and long runs after the catch. He has evolved from a boom-or-bust-type player to a consistent, threatening pass-catcher.

Baldwin, however, is not without flaws, and he easily could be shut down by Xavier Rhodes or Terence Newman since he does not possess any mismatch-caliber traits. Graham, who was a non-factor most weeks, is not even in the conversation anymore due to injury, which essentially makes Baldwin the only guy.

If Baldwin is kept in check, it'd be hard to imagine the pocket passer Wilson from the past two weeks showing up at TCF Bank Stadium—making Seattle not a whole lot more than the beatable version of itself from earlier this season.

Prediction: Vikings 13, Seahawks 10

Associated Press

This game is shaping up to be a real barnburner—offensive lines that can't block, one consistent receiving threat per team (Stefon Diggs; Doug Baldwin), loaded defenses at every level, innovative defensive coaches (Mike Zimmer; Pete Carroll) and offensive coordinators who are frequently baffling with their play calls (Norv Turner; Darrell Bevell).

It is rare in today's game that a matchup features just one or two combined touchdowns—let alone a total points figure under 25.

But, there probably is not a head-to-head matchup more capable—or prone—to playing out a defensive showdown than the Seahawks vs. Vikings.

Seattle has the better quarterback and a superior defensive secondary. Minnesota, on the other hand, has a more dominant rushing attack and boasts more versatility on defense.

The offensive and defensive lines are almost mirror images of each other from an overall talent perspective, and both No. 1 wide receivers are capable of doing significant damage but lack the opportunities needed for consistently high production totals.

Minnesota also has a home-field advantage—which will be a factor in the trenches—multiple mismatches at tight end and talent diversified throughout the roster. As dominant at some positions or evens units as the Seahawks are, they have major holes all over their roster (tight end, offensive line and No. 2 cornerback), and these should be areas that fit well with the Vikings' tendencies and strengths.

If Bridgewater can find a way to hit a few intermediate routes, avoid the dangers lurking within Seattle's back end and receive expectation-level results from Peterson (25 carries, 115 yards, one touchdown), then this game is just as winnable as the next one.

While it may take a long time to sink in, the Vikings can compete with any team at this point—especially at home—and the Seahawks are no longer the flawless, genuinely terrifying team that they were over the past two seasons.

Seattle remains a talented opponent and one that will stretch Minnesota to the limit, but this is a statement game predicated on running the football well, defensive efficiency and positional discipline.

Minnesota is one team-defining win away from taking it to the next level, and the general premise of a Seattle-Minnesota matchup could not be more perfect for Zimmer's coaching style. 

The Vikings defense finally has a start-to-finish performance, and the combination of Bridgewater and Peterson does just enough to slip by the defending NFC champions, 13-10.

All statistics courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference, unless otherwise noted.

For more Vikings news, statistics and discussion, find me on Twitter @RobertReidellBT.