Inside The Vikings

Advanced metric shows Vikings just played their worst offensive game...ever

How putrid was the Vikings' offense on Sunday in Seattle? Historically so.
Will Ragatz|
Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) celebrates after a tackle during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field.
Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) celebrates after a tackle during the second half against the Minnesota Vikings at Lumen Field. | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

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Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings played a downright horrible game on offense a couple Sundays ago in Green Bay, but there was at least a precedent for that kind of showing. It was a run-of-the-mill day as far as awful offensive performances go.

Sunday's game in Seattle sunk to a level that Vikings fans have legitimately never seen before. Minnesota's offensive day in its first shutout loss since 2007 was uniquely, historically putrid. According to the advanced metric DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average), it was the single worst offensive output in Minnesota Vikings history (or at least since 1978, which is as far back as the data goes).

And it's not just the worst offensive DVOA game by a Vikings team, it's the worst one by a MILE. This was about 30 percent worse than the previous low, set back in the 1984 season opener, according to DVOA creator Aaron Schatz. And that metric factors in how good the Seahawks' defense is.

Along with the Falcons game in Week 2, two of the ten worst Vikings offensive performances ever have come this season. And the Packers game probably can't have been too far off of the list.

We've covered some of the other unsightly numbers from the Vikings' 26-0 loss in Seattle, but DVOA really helps put into context just how disastrous it was — and how hopeless it felt all game long for Max Brosmer and company.

Excluding end-of-half situations, the Vikings possessed the ball 11 times in this game. Here's how those possessions went:

  • 7 net yards, punt
  • 21 net yards, punt
  • 3 net yards, punt
  • 18 net yards, punt
  • 9 net yards, interception
  • -8 net yards, punt
  • 28 net yards, fumble lost
  • 22 net yards, interception
  • 4 net yards, interception
  • 47 net yards, interception
  • -10 net yards, turnover on downs

The total net yardage for the Vikings was 162. It's the fourth time this season the Vikings have been held below 200 total yards, which had only happened once in the first three years of the Kevin O'Connell era. The Vikings had 11 total first downs, five turnovers, and committed ten penalties. It's just the second game in the last 40 years where an NFL team had 162 or fewer yards, 11 or fewer first downs, at least five turnovers, and at least ten penalties.

This feels like it has to be rock bottom for O'Connell and the Vikings. The lesson from Sunday's game is that things can always get worse, but it's hard to imagine what a worse offensive performance than that one would even look like. Hopefully we won't have to find out.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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