For the second week in a row, the Seahawks found themselves trailing by double digits early, but this time against the Vikings, they were able to claw their way back into the game, eventually even taking the lead in the fourth quarter.
The Seahawks were not, however, able to hold onto that lead, and their last chances to come back came up short, first in the form of a missed 60-yard field goal attempt, then with a late-game interception inside the final minute of the game.
Here are six rapid reactions to Sunday's loss, which dropped Seattle's record to 8-7, one game behind the Rams in the NFC West:
- It was a day of big highs and big lows for Geno Smith and the offense.
A week after exiting the game early with a knee injury, Geno Smith was back to lead the Seahawks offense. In the end, he had a very eventful outing, both good and bad, on what was an inconsistent day for Seattle's offense.
Smith completed 31 of 43 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns, leading some impressive drives, including one at the end of the second quarter on which he completed 5 of 5 attempts for 88 yards and a touchdown, as well as a fourth-quarter touchdown drive to give the Seahawks a 24-20 lead.
But for all that good, there were also a pair of interceptions, one of which led to a first-half Vikings field goal, and the second of which came with the Seahawks trailing by three in the final minute and looking to drive for the tying field goal.
The loss isn't all on Smith's shoulders—far from it—but his day, both the highs and the lows, helps illustrate the type of day it was for the entire team.
- Another week, another big game for Jaxon Smith-Njigba, plus a significant milestone.
For almost an entire half, the Vikings kept Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle's leading receiver, off the stat sheet, though there were two debatable no-calls on third-down pass attempts to Smith-Njigba that featured a lot of early contact from Minnesota defensive backs.
Late in the second quarter, however, Geno Smith and Smith-Njigba found their groove, with the second-year receiver catching three passes, including an 18-yard touchdown, to close out the half.
Smith-Njigba added more big catches in the second half, and finished the game with five catches for 95 yards, marking the eighth consecutive game in which he has led the team in receiving yards.
Smith-Njigba also hit a significant milestone on Sunday, moving past 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, making him the 10th receiver in franchise history to do so.
- The Seahawks defense did a lot of things well, but couldn't get the stop it needed late.
The numbers show that the Seahawks defense did plenty of things well against an explosive Vikings offense, holding Minnesota to a 3-for-12 conversion rate on third down, 298 total yards and a 4.8 yards-per-play average.
But despite forcing six punts and doing plenty of things well, the Seahawks couldn't get the stop they needed late after the offense gave Seattle its first lead of the game. Trailing 24-20, the Vikings were able to go 60 yards in four plays, taking the lead for good when leading receiver Justin Jefferson found himself wide open for a 39-yard touchdown, Minnesota's longest play of the game.
- Penalties proved very costly for the Seahawks.
For the second time in as many losses, penalties were a problem for the Seahawks, who a week ago had a season-high 108 penalty yards against them. In this game, the Seahawks had 11 penalties enforced against them for 77, several of which proved costly.
Of those 11 penalties, the biggest was a very unfortunate facemask penalty on rookie Byron Murphy II, who made a great play for a sack, one that would have forced third-and-very-long on Minnesota's go-ahead drive. Instead, he accidentally caught Sam Darnold's facemask while making the tackle, giving Minnesota 15 yards and a first down to set up the game-winning score.
- Jarran Reed was a force on the interior line.
Leonard Williams has been the standout on Seattle's defensive line for much of the season, and he had another really good game on Sunday, but in this game, it was another veteran lineman, Jarran Reed, making the splash plays.
Reed, who has been really good all season even when he hasn't always had the numbers to show for it, was in the backfield frequently on Sunday, finishing with a sack, two passes defensed on batted balls, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble.
- Rookie AJ Barner keeps building on a solid rookie campaign.
AJ Barner, a fourth-round pick out of Michigan, didn't have a huge role in the offense early in the season. As the year has gone along, though, he has carved out a bigger role, and seems to come through with a key play or two in every game. On Sunday, he had only two catches for 13 yards, but one of them was a fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Seahawks a short-lived lead, his third touchdown of the season.
Must-see shots of the Seahawks at their Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) and Seahawks free safety Julian Love (20) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks free safety Julian Love (20), Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22), Seahawks free safety Coby Bryant (8), and Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks free safety Coby Bryant (8) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenny McIntosh (25) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks players at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith (7) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end Pharaoh Brown (86) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14), Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11), and Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tackle Charles Cross (67) and Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks players at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks nose tackle Jarran Reed (90) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Dareke Young (83) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks punter Michael Dickson (4) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba (11) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks tight end AJ Barner (88) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) at the Week 16 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field on Sunday, December 22, 2024.
