Sam Darnold felt the pressure at the back as soon as he dropped back as the Minnesota Vikings trailed by four points late in the fourth quarter in Seattle. So he moved to a safe space in the pocket and did precisely what the team would prefer him to do. the game at stake.
He threw the ball down the field to Justin Jefferson.
The perfectly placed throw near the sideline beat double coverage for a 39-yard touchdown that put the Vikings back in front with 3:51 left in a game. 27-24 victory against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
“It was a great decision,” said Jefferson, who had 10 receptions for 144 yards and two scores, season highs. “I’m not going to say too much about that play, but something happened and Sam and I were on the same page, and he found me and we went up.”
The Vikings were understandably coy about the context around the touchdown, when Darnold completed a tough running pass right over cornerback Tariq Woolen that Jefferson deftly twisted to catch next to his back hip so he could protect the ball late. -break security Julian Love.
Darnold saw Love’s shoulders initially shadowed inside just enough to believe he couldn’t move back fast enough to prevent Jefferson from getting the ball. Jefferson also applied some improvisation to his route which Darnold read clearly and correctly during the play.
“I want these guys to have some freedom in those moments,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We do a lot of things with Justin and Sam, seeing coverage and then providing route opportunities to get to the line of scrimmage, and I think those guys have become so comfortable with that kind of things.”
Darnold’s long-delayed performance under O’Connell has been one of the stories of the NFL this season, one that would not have gone as well for the third overall pick in the 2018 draft without such synergy between him and his superstar receiver. .
If the Vikings (13-2) win their final two games, they will not only be NFC North champions for the second time in three years, but also secure the No. 1 seed and the only first-round bye of the NFC for the playoffs. .
“Every game we find different ways to overcome adversity, overcome different things that defenses throw at us,” Jefferson said. “Sam has done a great job as a leader.”
The pass rush was strong, with Andrew Van Ginkel recording two sacks and a pressure leading to Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith’s two interceptions. The Vikings were credited with eight hits on Smith.
The Vikings converted just three of 12 third downs, their second-worst rate of the season.
Theo Jackson, who saw significant playing time at safety with Harrison Smith out, made the game-sealing interception with 49 seconds remaining.
Tight end Josh Oliver has played 47 percent of snaps over the past two games, his two lowest usage rates of the season. He dropped the only pass thrown to him on Sunday.
The defense should get a big boost this week with the expected return of 13-year veteran Smith after his first absence in two years when he was sidelined in Seattle with a foot injury . Linebacker Ivan Pace, who missed four games on the injured list with a hamstring strain, is also on track to return to practice.
Backup defensive lineman Jalen Redmond, who did not play against the Seahawks because of a concussion, has progressed through the protocol, O’Connell said. Backup cornerback Fabian Moreau, who was inactive in Seattle with a hip injury, will continue to be evaluated throughout the week.
The third down conversion rate for the Vikings over the last two games is 13.6%, with Chicago and Seattle combining to be just 3 for 22. The Vikings rank second in the NFL in third down defense essay with 33.7% for the season and also rank second after fourth, with a drop of 36.7%.
The Vikings will host Green Bay on Sunday, with kickoff moved to the late afternoon showcase location on Fox. If Minnesota loses to the Packers, the Lions will win the NFC North and the Vikings will open the playoffs on the road as a No. 5 seed, at best. Even if the Lions lose at San Francisco on Monday night, the Vikings would have to win at Detroit on Jan. 5 to clinch the division title.
