Seattle Seahawks: Keys to a Week 3 win over the Minnesota Vikings

Today the Seattle Seahawks visit the Minnesota Vikings, who are arguably the best 0-2 team in the NFL and the most likely candidates to beat the odds and make the playoffs this year. Seattle should be expecting a gritty effort all-around from Minnesota and has to be prepared to match that energy.

Intangibles are only a small part of the game, though. Here are a couple other big-picture keys to follow for the Seahawks that should help them get back into the win column this week.

Offense: Take the mids

Russell Wilson is who he is and he’s probably not going to change nearly a decade into his pro career. The Seahawks should not be discouraging his instincts to throw the ball deep. However, Wilson could stand to attack the middle of the field a little more. Seattle has an extremely explosive and productive offense so far this year. However, their success rate has been awful. Long story short, they need more simple plays that extend drives. That burden can’t all be on Wilson, though – it needs to be a total team effort from offensive coordinator Shane Waldron all the way down to the last running back on the depth chart.

Defense: Don’t get run over again

Minnesota subscribes to the Shanahan school of offense, meaning a strong emphasis on outside zone runs and play action throws. Seattle might have caught a break with Dalvin Cook’s ankle sprain, though. He’s questionable and appears unlikely to play. That should mean more work for Alexander Mattison, who gave the Seahawks trouble in 2020. In that matchup Mattison posted 136 yards from scrimmage. If Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen go off against the cornerbacks that’s one thing, but this defense has to prove it can stop the run after last week’s debacle – especially against a backup.

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