The Minnesota Vikings entered the 2025 season with plenty of juicy matchups on the calendar, but this one was circled.<\/p>\n
Originally, the sell went like this: Sam Darnold, who quarterbacked Minnesota to 14 wins in 2024, and the Seattle Seahawks versus his successor, first-round pick J.J. McCarthy. The circumstances are a tad different than expectations. For one, the Vikings aren\u2019t the NFC contenders they hoped to be. Also, because McCarthy is in concussion protocol, the Vikings will start undrafted rookie Max Brosmer.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s still plenty of intrigue, though, especially for what Darnold might have in store for the Vikings defense. What will happen? As always, The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0Alec Lewis and Jon Krawczynski are here for a preview.<\/p>\n
What I\u2019m watching<\/p>\n
Lewis: Max Brosmer. Undrafted quarterbacks rarely make rosters, much less get an opportunity to play. The Vikings have had an eye on Brosmer for years. Coach Kevin O\u2019Connell saw him throw at a Minnesota Golden Gophers pro day a couple of springs ago. Conversations with the Gophers staff only intrigued O\u2019Connell further. Brosmer wowed Minnesota\u2019s coaches with how quickly he picked up a complex system this spring. He then applied his knowledge on the field.<\/p>\n
In training camp, he rarely missed throws and didn\u2019t struggle in the slightest to process the field. Does he have elite arm strength? No. Does he possess premium athleticism? No. Is success at the quarterback position still a byproduct of correct decision-making and subtle movements amid the mayhem? Yes. The Seahawks defense is one of the NFL\u2019s best, but I won\u2019t be surprised if Brosmer looks prepared and holds his own, given how the staff has talked about him behind the scenes.<\/p>\n
Krawczynski: Slingin\u2019 Sammy. For much of the season, the Vikings have heard plenty of complaints about letting Darnold go to Seattle and moving forward with J.J. McCarthy. When it comes to maximizing the present, that still looks like a considerable mistake. Still, Darnold\u2019s four-interception clunker against the Los Angeles Rams two weeks ago in a really big spot served as a reminder about one of the reasons the Vikings chose to move on. The last two games of last season were bad enough that they prompted the Vikings to forget the first 15 weeks of MVP-caliber play from Darnold.<\/p>\n
As the stakes increase for the Seahawks, will Darnold be able to deliver in a way he has not in his career? There will be plenty of motivation on his side this week to stick it to the team that gave up on him after one season. It will be quite a test for a secondary that has not been impactful for most of the season.<\/p>\n
Biggest concerns<\/p>\n
Lewis: Mike Macdonald\u2019s defense. It\u2019s hard to find a weakness. Seattle stops the run as well as, if not better than, any team in the NFL. Against the pass, the Seahawks rarely allow explosive plays. Macdonald knows how to attack protections. The front is loaded. Defensive tackle Leonard Williams might be the most underrated defender in the NFL. Second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has developed into a serious problem. Seattle also has seemingly an endless number of edge rushers. Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe can all get after the quarterback.<\/p>\n
On the back end, Devon Witherspoon and Nick Emmanwori are twitched-up athletes who are not afraid to blitz or hit. This is hard enough for the elite quarterbacks. Toss in that it\u2019s Brosmer\u2019s first start and the potential that tackle Justin Skule has to play, and it has the potential to go sideways fast.<\/p>\n
Krawczynski: That the Vikings are incapable of taking advantage if Darnold is shaky again. The quarterback can be flustered. He will see ghosts. You can bet defensive coordinator Brian Flores will dial up more exotic pressures to try to rattle Darnold. Can the Vikings turn that chaos into anything meaningful, though? The safeties are generally two steps behind in coverage. The cornerbacks don\u2019t often contest completions. It\u2019s looking like this defense may need an act of Congress to get a turnover. One of the easiest pathways to an upset is to wait for Darnold to make a mistake and then capitalize on it, but the Vikings defense has shown no ability to get its hands on the football, which does not bode well.<\/p>\n
With a young quarterback leading the offense, the defense will have to do something to put him in an advantageous situation. To this point, that\u2019s not something Minnesota\u2019s defense has been able to do.<\/p>\n
Most interesting matchup<\/p>\n
Lewis: The Vikings defense vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba showdown will be crucial. Can Flores cook up a recipe to stop the unstoppable? Smith-Njigba has amassed 21 plays of 20 yards or more this season, the most of any skill player by a wide margin. He beats press coverage. He understands underneath zones. He finds space. He can run after the catch. He rarely drops passes. Darnold also trusts him implicitly to find space and haul in passes over defenders. Minnesota might be in a bind.<\/p>\n
The Seahawks play with heavier personnel more frequently than any team in the NFL. Commit defenders and base coverage to stop the run, and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak will dial up passes. Play with more shell coverage and lighter personnel, and Kubiak will be more than OK running the football into light boxes. Flores is one of the best at solving issues like these, but you\u2019re only as good as your personnel. Cornerbacks Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers must meet the challenge.<\/p>\n
Krawczynski: Max Brosmer vs. the expectations is a big one. Since McCarthy has struggled to the degree that he has and because Brosmer made a few impressive throws in the preseason, Vikings fans have been clamoring to get a look at the former Gopher. Now they will. In some ways, this is set up well for Brosmer. The bar to clear is very low in terms of improving on what the offense has looked like with McCarthy leading it.<\/p>\n
That said, I do think there may be too much being put on his preseason performance against backups. Maybe he is the next Brock Purdy or Kurt Warner, but he went undrafted for a reason. He will be facing one of the best defenses in the NFL. It\u2019s going to be a very difficult setting for an NFL starting debut.<\/p>\n
There’s an important distinction between nerves and nervousness for a QB. pic.twitter.com\/eQczmbYRpF<\/a><\/p>\n