Vikings Shut Out for First Time In Eighteen Years in Loss to Seahawks

With the news that quarterback J.J. McCarthy would not be starting this week for the Minnesota Vikings due to not clearing concussion protocol and that rookie Max Brosmer would be starting in his spot, many fans felt that things could not possibly get worse for the Minnesota offense.

The team, apparently, took that as a challenge and rose to meet it in ways previously thought impossible.

For the first time in eighteen years, the Vikings failed to register a single point, getting thoroughly beaten by the Seattle Seahawks by a final score of 26-0 at Lumen Field in Seattle in Week 13 NFL action.

After a scoreless first quarter, Seattle finally dented the scoreboard midway through the second quarter on a 33-yard field goal by Jason Myers to give themselves a 3-0 lead. Later in the second quarter, the Vikings’ defense forced a turnover for the first time since Week 9, as Dallas Turner sacked Sam Darnold, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Jalen Redmond at the Seattle 13-yard line.

That led to the Vikings facing a 4th-and-1 from the Seattle 4-yard line, and Max Brosmer made what might go down as the worst pass that any Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback has ever thrown, attempting to underhand a pass to get out of a sack and throwing it right to Seahawks’ linebacker Ernest Jones, who returned it 86 yards for a Seattle touchdown and turning what could have been a 7-3 Vikings lead or, at worst, a tie game at 3-3 into a 10-0 Seattle lead with just over three minutes left in the half.

Myers tacked on another field goal, a 56-yarder, to send the game into halftime at 13-0 in favor of the home team.

The Seahawks got the football coming out of the locker room at halftime, and they got another long field goal from Myers to add to their lead. This one came from 54 yards out and made the score 16-0 with just over eleven minutes left in the third quarter of play.

Brosmer made his best throw of the day on the ensuing Vikings drive, as he hit T.J. Hockenson for a 29-yard gain into Seattle territory. A few plays later, however, a completion to Aaron Jones resulted in a fumble that was recovered by the Seahawks for another Minnesota turnover. Seattle took advantage, getting Myers’ fourth field goal of the afternoon, a 40-yarder to extend the lead to 19-0 with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter of play.

Minnesota once again pushed into Seattle territory near the end of the third quarter, but Brosmer threw a pass too high for Jalen Nailor that was intercepted by Coby Bryant for the Seahawks, the Vikings’ third turnover of the day to keep them off the scoreboard through three quarters of play.

Brosmer added another interception early in the fourth quarter, as a pass intended for Jefferson was deflected into the hands of Jones for his second pick of the day, giving the Seahawks the ball in Minnesota territory once again. Seattle then, finally, gave this game an offensive touchdown, as Zach Charbonnet carried the ball in from 17 yards out to make it 26-0 with just over nine minutes remaining in the contest.

The Vikings pushed the ball into the red zone, and Brosmer was looking to push the ball into the end zone on a pass intended for Jordan Addison, but it turned into his fourth interception of the day as Riq Woolen picked him off. But on the return, Jalen Nailor laid a solid hit on Woolen to make him fumble it away, with the Vikings recovering it to get it back. After the Vikings got it back, they turned it over on downs at midfield to prolong the shutout.

This is the first time the Vikings had been shut out since November 11, 2007, when they fell to the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field by a final score of 34-0. That game came a week after a spritely young rookie named Adrian Peterson set the NFL’s single-game rushing record at the Metrodome.

The Vikings fall to 4-8 on the season and will return to U.S. Bank Stadium next week to play host to the Washington Commanders.

It was another ugly, ugly performance for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday in Seattle, as they got shut out by the Seahawks by a final score of 26-0. Thank you to everyone who got their coverage of this week’s game right here at The Daily Norseman!