Vikings (

15) at
Hawks (

26.5)

Game Overview ::

By Mike johnson >>

• The Vikings will start rookie QB Max Brosmer in this game as J.J. McCarthy is set to miss at least one week with a concussion.
• Minnesota’s defense has been decent this season from an efficiency perspective, but struggles to hold up over the course of a game due to the offense’s struggles.
• Seattle has been outstanding at home this year and has destroyed multiple opponents that were heavy underdogs in similar spots. 
• Seahawks RB Kenneth Walker III has been used at an increasing rate in recent weeks and is not on the injury report this week.
• Seattle’s passing game works primarily through WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is in the midst of a historic season.

JM’S JOURNAL ::

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How minnesota Will Try To Win ::

Minnesota’s embattled second year QB J.J. McCarthy suffered a concussion at the end of last week’s loss to Green Bay and will miss at least one game as he recovers. This is the second time this season in which McCarthy has had an injury pop up after a humiliating performance, which has the conspiracy theorists out in full force, convinced this is a “soft benching” due to the complete ineptitude McCarthy has displayed for most of his first season as Minnesota’s starter. I was skeptical of these claims the first time around, but after having to watch McCarthy play football for the last month, I can see it. Regardless of the reason (he could actually be concussed, and also the team has seen enough), we don’t have to see him attempt to play QB this week.

The result is the first career start for former Minnesota Gopher QB Max Brosmer. The team reportedly loved Brosmer’s performance this offseason and he did well in the preseason. He has the advantage of an elite supporting cast and an offensive system that every QB (except McCarthy) has found success in over the last five seasons. It shouldn’t be possible to be as bad as McCarthy has been recently, so in reality, the offense should get a little boost this week, as the things I would expect from Brosmer would be better accuracy and timing than McCarthy was providing. Brosmer is likely to be focused on getting the ball to his studs at WR, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as dependable tight end T.J. Hockenson. I would expect the Vikings to try to create quick first-read passes for Brosmer on early downs to set up manageable second and third downs that don’t let Seattle just tee off on him. The worst thing they could do would be “establishing the run” on first down and leaving him with a bunch of predictable “2nd and 12” or “3rd and 9” situations against a ferocious Seattle defense. The Seahawks are third in the NFL in defensive DVOA and third in yards per play allowed, while ranking top-4 against both the run and the pass. They form a formidable challenge for Minnesota in all areas and the Vikings are likely to be focused on moving the ball methodically and sustaining drives while controlling the game script and tempo.

How Seattle Will Try To Win ::