Seahawks vs. Vikings: 6 things to know going into Week 3

The Seattle Seahawks visit the Minnesota Vikings this weekend as they try to recover from a disastrous home opener.

Here are six important things to know about these teams as they prepare for their Sunday matchup.

Russell Wilson has never lost to Minnesota (barely)

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Russell Wilson has had nothing but success against the Vikings in his career, as Seattle has won seven straight against Minnesota going back to 2012. These games have often been close, though. There hasn't been a true blowout W for the Seahawks in this series since the 2015 meeting (38-7). More recent wins have included a dramatic (lucky) victory in the playoffs and another nail-biter on Monday Night Football last year.

Don't expect Kirk Cousins to help

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Like Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins rarely makes turnover-worthy throws. Cousins has the league's longest active streak of attempts without an interception with 162. Wilson ranks second at 124. During his four-year run as the Vikings' starter, Cousins has only thrown interceptions on 1.8% of his passing attempts. Whatever else happens, he likely won't beat himself.

Seattle's new offense burns hot but fast

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Overall, this looks like a pretty decent Seahawks offense. It's far from perfect, but they rank in the top 10 in scoring (29 points per game) mostly on the immense strength of the long-ball chemistry between QB Russell Wilson and WR Tyler Lockett. Halftime adjustments have proven rough for this team, though. Their EPA/play drops from No. 1 in the NFL in the first half to No. 23 in the second, while their scoring drops from second to 29th.

Not your daddy's Minnesota defense

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Minnesota's defense is going through a decline similar to the one Seattle went through a while back. After reigning as pro football's undisputed top post-Legion of Boom defense for several years, they've taken a couple serious steps down. Last season, Mike Zimmer's team unthinkably ranked No. 29 in points allowed per game and they have allowed at least 24 points in nine straight games, the league's longest active streak.

Dalvin Cook presents a different challenge

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Like the Titans, the Vikings have a run-heavy kind of offense led by Dalvin Cook. While he's not the same physical specimen as Derrick Henry, Cook does present his own challenges. The good news is Seattle has been able to contain him. The last time these teams met, Cook was held to just 65 rushing yards on 17 carries, and in their 2019 matchup he managed just 29 yards on nine attempts.

The Seahawks have penalty problems

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It's only been two games, but the Seahawks have had trouble on defense avoiding flags - which became a serious problem against Tennessee. So far they have given up seven first downs to their opponents thanks to flags. That's tied for the third-most in the NFL this season. As a team, the Seahawks have the highest penalty differential (-92 yards) in the league. [listicle id=75561]

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