Vikings Vanquish Seahawks, Now Face 2 Biggest Tests Of Season

The Vikings passed the first part of their three-week final exam with their 27-24 victory over the Seahawks Sunday, and it was a noble and significant effort against an opponent that needed the game badly.

There is every reason for the Vikings to feel good about their performance and the results but the reality is that the next two weeks will be much more difficult.

The Vikings are fighting for the NFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. If they are successful and can stretch their winning streak to 10 games, they will have a bye in the Wild Card round of the playoffs and will also have homefield advantage throughout the postseason.

To gain this reward, they will have to beat the Packers at home Sunday and then go to Detroit the final week of the season and beat that formidable team.

This is no longer a cute story about a team that has exceeded expectations this season. That story ended several weeks ago because the Vikings have a complete team that meshes well together. When the offense has not been in peak form, the defense takes responsibility and finds a way to make decisive plays. When the defense hits a lull, the offense comes through with game-winning plays.

In the win over Seattle, both sides came up with decisive plays. Quarterback Sam Darnold stepped up late in the fourth quarter and threw a dart to Justin Jefferson. The superstar wideout beat two Seattle defenders and caught the go-ahead 39-yard TD pass.

“There wasn’t really one guy — and I know I’m not speaking just for myself — (who didn’t think) we’re going to go down and we’re going to get a touchdown,” said Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell. “And I think the level of confidence that that group has in their quarterback and the level of confidence the quarterback has in the 10 guys in the huddle is significant.

Andrew Van Ginkel came up with a key sack of Geno Smith on the ensuing series that led to an unsuccessful 60-yard field goal attempt that would have tied the game. Theo Jackson clinched the win with an interception on the final Seattle possession.

Vikings have both sides of the ball working together

There is harmony on the field and in the locker room and O’Connell deserves full credit for building this unity. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores has put together a defense that has had multiple great moments throughout the year and has exceeded its talent level by a wide margin.

The final two weeks of the season represent the biggest tests of the year for the Vikings. While the Packers are in third place in the division, they may be in the best shape of all the NFC North teams. Jordan Love is a quarterback of consequence, Josh Jacobs is a game-changing running back and the receiving crew is loaded with speed and big-play ability.

Unlike previous seasons, the Packers have a defense that can take over a game in the second half. Green Bay has the 8^th-ranked defense in the league as they are allowing 20.5 points per game and they are 9^th in yards allowed at 321.8 per game. Defensive end Rashan Gary has a team-high 6.5 sacks and is the key to the pass rush, while safety Xavier McKinney has 7 game-changing interceptions, 9 passes defensed and 75 tackles.

It will take their best effort of the season to defeat the Packers. The Vikings won the first meeting in Week 4 at Lambeau when they got off to a great start and held on, but the Vikings will not surprise the Packers this time. They will get Green Bay’s best effort.

The Lions have been overwhelmed by defensive injuries that would turn most teams into quivering jelly. That has not happened with Dan Campbell’s team. He has put together the gutsiest and hardest-playing team in the league.

The Lions have the most relentless offensive team in the league with Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown playing the starring roles. They will have to be at their best because DE Aidan Hutchinson (broken leg), DT Alim McNeill (knee, ACL), DT Kyle Peko (pectoral), DE Marcus Davenport (triceps), LB Malcolm Rodriguez (knee, ACL) and CB Khalil Dorsey (ankle) will not be able to play.

Despite those injuries, the Lions play with an intensity that few teams can match. If the season finale is the winner-take-all game that it appears to be, the Vikings will have to show they can get to that level.

If they can, the Vikings may get to the promised land.