Keys for the Vikings' defense vs the Seahawks' offense in Week 13

Through 11 games in 2025, the Minnesota Vikings' defense hasn't been the dominant force it was in 2024. They rank 11th in total yards allowed, are tied for 13th in EPA allowed per play (-0.06), and are tied for 27th in takeaways, with nine forced turnovers on the season. The Vikings' 4-7 record isn't necessarily the defense's fault, but the group has been underwhelming as a whole this year.

Minnesota's defense prepares to face a Seattle Seahawks offense that ranks 7th in total yards this season and 3rd in points. Seattle is 11th in EPA per play (0.0) on offense this year, benefiting from more explosive plays than methodical drives.

If the Vikings want to pull off the upset and give rookie Max Brosmer a chance to succeed in his first career start, they will have to slow down the Seattle offense that is led by Sam Darnold, who quarterbacked Minnesota in 2024.

Here are the keys for the Vikings' defense in Week 13 against the Seahawks.

Keys for the Vikings' defense vs the Seahawks' offense in Week 13

Take away Jaxon Smith-Njigba

This feels obvious, as Jaxon Smith-Njigba leads the league with 1,313 yards on 80 receptions, catching seven touchdowns. But he has accounted for 46.9% of all the Seahawks' receiving yards, showing that the high-flying offense runs through him.

The Vikings aren't the only team to go into the game trying to take Smith-Njigba out of the game, but it feels like the type of contest where Brian Flores throws all his resources at one particular player. Minnesota's season has been a disaster, so they might as well be even more aggressive than usual to take away the Seahawks' best player.

Get after Darnold early

Part of the reason the Seahawks have had so much success on offense in 2025 is that Darnold is avoiding negative plays early in the game. According to Next Gen Stats, Darnold has completed 45 of 60 passes for 608 yards, six touchdowns, and only two interceptions in the first quarter this season. He has yet to take a sack in that time, giving him a 62.3% success rate in the opening period, the highest among all qualified quarterbacks since 2016.

The Vikings have to get after Darnold early to try getting him off his game. Ideally, that will result in sacks, but just getting pressures and forcing Darnold off-target will help. The Vikings are hoping to get Jonathan Greenard back this week after he missed the past two weeks with a shoulder injury. He was limited in Wednesday's practice.

Can they force a turnover?

It feels like every week I'm writing this in these exact words. I'm trying to will the Vikings into a takeaway. They have forced only two turnovers since their Week 3 win over the Bengals, and their three interceptions on the season are tied for second-worst in the NFL (the Jets have zero picks this season). For the second time this season, the Vikings have gone three straight games without a takeaway.

The Vikings have had their own issues turning the ball over, as their 21 giveaways are the most in the league. But the Seahawks are actually right behind them, with 11 interceptions and nine fumbles lost. They have turned the ball over in nine of their 11 games this season. If there were ever a time to force a turnover, it would be now, giving the Vikings' offense a rare short field.

This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Keys for the Vikings' defense against the Seahawks' offense in Week 13