Dom Skene, Seahawks WireTue, December 2, 2025 at 11:39 PM UTC·1 min readWhile the Seattle Seahawks defense pitched their first shutout in over a decade in Week 13, the opposing Minnesota Vikings defense showed a substantive way to keep the high-powered offense at bay.
The Vikings blitzed their former quarterback, Sam Darnold, at an extreme rate. They blitzed on 18 of his 30 dropbacks, 60% of the time- which neutralized his gunslinging abilities. He was forced to stay conservative, relying on checkdowns and throwing the ball away rather than attempting his signature downfield passes. It kept the offense from finishing drives, as Zach Charbonnet's 17-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter was the only time they got in the end zone.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementVikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores is known for innovating in his gameplans, and knows Darnold well, having gone against him in practice weekly last season. He committed to the blitz-heavy approach and forced Darnold’s lowest completion percentage of the season at 54%. Pro Football Focus also gave Darnold the lowest grade of all 12 of his performances this season at a measly 37.9.
As the Seahawks visit the Atlanta Falcons in Week 14, they’ll face another hellacious pass rush. Their 41 sacks rank 3rd in the NFL behind only the Denver Broncos and Cleveland Browns. Their two highest 2025 draft picks both come off the edge in Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. and are tied for the most sacks by a rookie this season with 5 apiece. They also blitz more than any team except for the Vikings themselves. After watching the Week 13 tape on the Seahawks, they’re likely to follow a similar gameplan- and Darnold needs to answer by hitting passes between the hashes, where the blitzers vacate space.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks offense hindered by blitz-happy Vikings in Week 13
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