5 Key Moments That Led to Seahawks' Demise in Minnesota
The Seahawks dropped to 1-2 after getting out-classed by the Vikings on the road, 30-17. The offense once again fell dormant after a hot start and the Vikings ran circles around the Seahawks' defense.
Let's take a look at five key moments that swung the game heavily in Minnesota's favor.
Second quarter: Kirk Cousins sacked on 3rd and 3 (Penalty on Ugo Amadi: holding, automatic first down)
At this point in the game, the Seahawks still possessed the lead at 17-7 and things looked like they were going their way. Their defense got Minnesota to a third down and then Rasheem Green broke free to sack Kirk Cousins for a six-yard loss. That would have made it 4th and 9 had there not been a penalty.
The holding call on Amadi gave the Vikings new life. They ended up taking advantage with a nine-play, 90-yard drive that cut Seattle's lead to just three points. Had the Seahawks forced a punt with the Vikings still down 10 points, they could have gone in for an emphatic score to take a big lead that might have changed the result of the game.
Second quarter: Jason Myers misses 44-yard field goal attempt
Seattle drove down the field hoping to extend its slim 17-14 lead. Russell Wilson and the offense moved the ball 53 yards, setting up Myers' 44-yard try. It would have made the game 20-14 and perhaps given Seattle more momentum.
Instead, Myers missed his first field goal out of his last 37 tries, which is a Seahawks franchise record. It led to an empty drive and the offense sputtered for the rest of the game.
Second quarter: Cousins pass short left to Adam Thielen to Seattle 30 for 7 yards on 3rd and 4
This is another example—one of many—of Seattle's defense's utter failure at getting off the field after third down. Minnesota converted nine out of 14 third downs on the day. This one was key because it allowed the Vikings to milk more of the clock towards the end of the second half. They ended up scoring a touchdown to take the lead, 21-17.
Another factor is that they scored that touchdown with just 20 seconds left in the half. Had they stopped them on this specific third down, the Seahawks would have had just under a minute to try and score. Instead, they lost the lead and ran out of time as they tried driving down the field at the end of the half, resulting in zero points.
Third quarter: Cousins pass short left to Justin Jefferson to Minnesota 48 for 15 yards on 2nd and 14
A second down play early in the third quarter doesn't normally make these kinds of lists. However, it was a sign of things to come for Seattle's troubled defense. They had a chance early to get a three-and-out and get Wilson and company back on the field to take the lead back.
Instead, the Vikings converted on 2nd and long. They ended up producing a whopping 16-play, 50-yard drive that resulted in a field goal, extending Minnesota's lead to 24-17. Had the Seahawks been able to stop them early in that drive, their offense gets the ball back down just four points.
Fourth quarter: Michael Dickson punts 45 yards to Minnesota 12 on 4th and 7
This is the most egregious of the decisions Carroll made on Sunday. With the Seahawks trailing by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, he opted to punt away the football back to an offense in Minnesota that had been dicing up Seattle's defense for the majority of the afternoon.
The result was what most fans expected: the Vikings drove down and kicked a field goal, making it a 13-point game and also erased over seven minutes off the game clock in the process.
This led to Seattle being down by 13 points with just over four minutes to play. Even for Russell Wilson, that's a tall order.
It is befuddling that Carroll chose to punt instead of trust one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Wilson with their chances of winning dwindling. That was Seattle's last chance and Carroll punted it away.
