Seahawks-Vikings game thread

Final. Seahawks beat the Vikings 30-20

Solid win by the Seahawks, who bounce back from back-to-back losses with a much needed victory.

Pete Carroll, a coach who loves to preach the importance of finishing, had to like the way the offense was able to run the final 5:27 off the clock without giving the ball back to the Vikings.

The Seahawks defense, which struggled in Detroit, then again in the first half today, stepped up big in the second half, holding Minnesota to 59 yards in the final two quarters.

Seahawks lead 27-20 after three quarters

Blair Walsh drilled a 55-yarder late in the third quarter to make it a one-score game. The Seahawks, however, were right to be upset about that score seeing as Walsh kicked it with the play clock reading 00. Then there was also a somewhat dubious personal foul called on Brandon Browner to get the Vikings into field goal range.

But hey, it wouldn’t be a Seahawks game without a close score in the fourth quarter.

Seahawks build on lead, lose center

The good news for Seattle? Another touchdown drive, this one covering 72 yards and ending on a 3-yard Marshawn Lynch run. The bad news? Center Max Unger is currently in the locker room getting x-rays taken on his hand. It was not announced which hand is injured, and obviously that matters with him being the guy responsible for getting the ball to the quarterback every play. Lemuel Jeanpierre is currently playing in place of Unger.

Seahawks lead 20-17 at halftime

The Seahawks can’t stop Adrian Peterson (he had 144 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in the first half) but fortunately for Seattle, the Vikings don’t seem to have an answer for Russell Wilson. The Seahawks rookie quarterback went 10 for 14 in the half for 106 yards and three touchdowns, good for a passer rating of 132.7. Even more impressive, Wilson’s four incompletions included a throwaway and three drops.

Wilson’s last touchdown capped an 80-yard drive that gave Seattle the lead with 44 seconds left in the half. Golden Tate capped that drive with his second touchdown of the day, a screen pass that he turned into a score thanks to some nice moves, then a leap into the end zone.

Another AP touchdown ties it

Adrian Peterson scored his second touchdown of the afternoon, plowing his way through contact for a 4-yard score that tied the game at 14-14.

Vikings QB Christian Ponder went 4 for 4 on the touchdown drive after not completing a pass on the first three possessions. The Vikings were able to keep the drive going after converting on 3rd-and-7, and also because of a pass interference call on Marcus Trufant on 3rd-and-6.

Seahawks lead 14-7 after one quarter

Sidney Rice seems to enjoy playing against his former team. The Seahawks lead 14-7, and Rice played a very big role in that go-ahead drive. First he caught an 23-yard pass from Russell Wilson, then four plays later he threw a 25-yard pass to Zach Miller on a trick play, then he finished the drive off with an 11-yard touchdown catch.

Wilson did a very good job of keeping the play alive on third and 9, buying time with his legs before finding Rice open in the end zone.

Tied at 7-7 early

The Seahawks got off to a pretty awful start, but have bounced back well. After Adrian Peterson broke off a 74-yard run on the game’s first possession, he scored two plays later to put the Vikings ahead 7-0. That 74-yarder was the longest run the Seahawks have allowed since Frank Gore had runs of 80 and 79 yards in the same 2009 game.

Seattle then had to punt after dropped passes by Jermaine Kearse (who had a lot of room to run) and Doug Baldwin. Though Baldwin was trying to make a fairly tough diving grab.

The Seahawks were able answer quickly, however, thanks to a big play by Marcus Trufant, who forced a fumble and recovered it, giving Seattle the ball at the Vikings 17. Russell Wilson hit Golden Tate for a 6-yard score three plays later.

One injury note, linebacker KJ Wright went to the locker room and is being evaluated for a concussion. Mike Morgan is currently playing strongside linebacker in Wright’s place.

Pregame

There’s a little over an hour from kickoff between the Vikings and Seahawks, a big game for two teams with playoff aspirations. The Seahawks inactives are pretty much as expected. Out today because of injury are G James Carpenter (concussion), DT Jason Jones (ankle), WR Braylon Edwards (knee), and CB Byron Maxwell (hamstring)

The Seahawks have not announced who will start in Carpenter’s place, but the most likely scenario is that Paul McQuistan, who started the first three games at left guard before moving to right guard, will slide back to the left with John Moffitt or JR Sweezy starting on the right side.

Seahawks inactives

WR Braylon Edwards

S Winston Guy

CB Byron Maxwell

T Mike Person

G James Carpenter

DT Jason Jones

DT Jaye Howard

Vikings inactives

QB McLeon Bethel-Thompson

WR Stephen Burton

WR Jarius Wright