Preview: Vikings-Seahawks clash to have major playoff implications

SEATTLE — Just like a year ago, there’s no avoiding the importance of this Monday night matchup in the Pacific Northwest between Minnesota and Seattle.

Except this time around, a division title is still very much in play for both teams.

“This is a huge game for both of us. We know the stakes. Everybody knows the stakes,” Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks said. “Monday night makes it a little bit bigger, in Seattle. But I mean, you’ve got to live for these kind of moments, you know what I mean?”

For the second straight year, the Seahawks will host the Vikings in a late-season, prime-time matchup filled with playoff implications. But unlike that last meeting — won by Seattle 21-7 — when a wild-card berth was the target, both the Vikings and Seahawks are in the middle of division title races this time.

Seattle (9-2) is one game behind San Francisco in the NFC West and trying to avoid any stumbles prior to a Week 17 meeting with the 49ers at home. The Vikings (8-3) are even with Green Bay in the NFC North, but the Packers already have a win over Minnesota with a Week 16 matchup still to come.

Both teams would need to suffer a significant slide in the final month to put their playoff hopes in jeopardy. The Vikings have a two-game lead on the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card race. Seattle is a game better.

But the shot at a division title raises the stakes significantly.

“We got a terrific schedule coming up, challenges and all that,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “We’re going to have to play really well. I do think, though, that it leads us to our best football still ahead of us.”

QBs

While the playoff implications are the primary focus, the quarterbacks will certainly get their share of attention. It’s deserved as both Seattle’s Russell Wilson and Minnesota’s Kirk Cousins have been among the best in the league this season. Cousins leads the league in passer rating; Wilson is second. Wilson has 24 TD passes; Cousins 21. Both have thrown just three interceptions. Both are completing better than 67% of their passes.

TIME FOR A REFRESHER

After missing four starters in their previous game against Denver on Nov. 17 — wide receiver Adam Thielen, right guard Josh Kline, nose tackle Linval Joseph, free safety Anthony Harris — the Vikings had the advantage of the latest possible bye week to heal for the most challenging game of the final stretch. This was the second-latest bye week in team history, with only the break in 1991 falling later on the calendar. The Vikings are 2-7 in the last nine seasons in their games immediately after the bye.

“Give your body a rest, give your mind a rest. I think it came at a good time,” linebacker Anthony Barr said. “Hopefully we get some guys back healthy and be strong for this last five-game push we have.”

CARRYING THE LOAD

For most of the season, Chris Carson has carried the load for Seattle’s run game, while Rashaad Penny took on a complementary role, only getting a handful of carries.

That changed last week against the Eagles. Penny was the star, rushing for a career-high 129 yards and a clinching 58-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Carson was relegated to a lesser role, getting only eight carries to Penny’s 14. Carson also added to his league-leading fumble total with one that was credited to him and another that was his fault. Carson’s seven fumbles are the most among running backs in the NFL.

Carroll said Penny has earned more carries, but Carson will still get his share.

“Rashaad did great. I’m really fired up for that,” Carroll said. “We need his explosiveness. He continues to show up. He has had the real home run type of style of play. We’ve got to give him chances to bring that to us.”

OH, BROTHER

For the fourth straight season, Eric Kendricks will take on the team of his older brother and fellow linebacker, Mychal Kendricks. Eric has lost each time, with the Vikings falling at Philadelphia in 2016 and in the NFC championship game after the 2017 season, and then at Seattle in 2018.

“We’re not going to face each other, really, but it’s pretty special,” Eric said of his sibling who’s two years older. They were both second-round draft picks, Mychal out of California in 2012 by the Eagles and Eric out of UCLA in 2015 by the Vikings.

These days, Eric is definitely not in Mychal’s shadow. He leads all linebackers in the NFL with 12 passes defensed, already matching Ben Leber (2008) and Matt Blair (1981) for the most by a linebacker in Vikings history. According to SportRadar research, no linebacker in the league has had more than 13 passes defensed in any of the last six seasons.

COMING IN BUNCHES

Seattle is getting back into the mode of taking away the ball. The Seahawks have forced 16 turnovers in the past six games, including eight in the past two against San Francisco and Philadelphia. The Seahawks are third in the league in total takeaways with 24, behind New England (29) and Pittsburgh (24). Minnesota has just 12 giveaways on the season, tied for seventh best in the league.

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MINNESOTA (8-3) at SEATTLE (9-2)

Monday, 8:15 p.m. EST, ESPN

OPENING LINE — Seahawks by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD — Vikings 6-5, Seahawks 6-5

SERIES RECORD — Seahawks lead 11-5

LAST MEETING — Seahawks beat Vikings 21-7, Dec. 10, 2018

LAST WEEK — Vikings bye, beat Broncos 27-23 on Nov. 17; Seahawks beat Eagles 17-9

AP PRO32 RANKING — Vikings No. 6, Seahawks No. 4

VIKINGS OFFENSE — OVERALL (8), RUSH (4), PASS (15).

VIKINGS DEFENSE — OVERALL (15), RUSH (6), PASS (20).

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE — OVERALL (5), RUSH (6T), PASS (11).

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE — OVERALL (23), RUSH (10), PASS (29).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Second straight year Vikings play at Seahawks on Monday night in December. … Vikings have lost five straight to Seahawks, last winning in 2009 at Metrodome. … Vikings are 2-7 in last nine seasons in games immediately after bye week. … Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has longest active streak in league with 177 consecutive pass attempts without interception. Team record is 193, set by Warren Moon in 1995. In last seven games, Cousins has 18 TD passes, 2,020 yards, 73.3 completion percentage and just two turnovers. … Vikings RB Dalvin Cook became eighth different 1,000-yard rusher in team history in previous game against Broncos, first since Adrian Peterson in 2015. Cook has 1,472 yards from scrimmage, putting him on pace to finish with second most in Vikings history, behind Peterson (2,314) in NFL MVP season in 2012. … Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph has five TDs and one 2-point conversion catch in last five games. He moved to fifth place on team’s all-time list in receptions (415), passing Jake Reed in previous game. … Vikings LB Eric Kendricks leads all LBs in NFL with 12 passes defensed. Vikings are fourth in league with 62 passes defensed, according to SportRadar. … Seahawks are 28-5-1 in prime-time games under Pete Carroll, including 18-2 at home. … Win would give Seattle 10 wins in 12 games for fourth-time in franchise history. … Seahawks QB Russell Wilson first QB in league history to have winning record in each of first eight seasons. Wilson has never won fewer than nine games in season. … Wilson has 82.0 passer rating in past two after posting 118.2 rating through first nine games. … RB Rashaad Penny rushed for career-high 129 yards on 14 carries last week vs. Eagles. … RB Chris Carson needs 121 yards rushing for second straight 1,000-yard season. Carson leads all RBs with seven fumbles. … WR Tyler Lockett has TD catch in six straight home games. … WR DK Metcalf second among rookies in yards receiving and TD catches. … Seahawks forced season-high five turnovers last week vs. Eagles, stand third in the NFL with 24 total takeaways. … DE Ziggy Ansah had 1 ½ sacks and forced fumble vs. Eagles. … DE Jadeveon Clowney (hip) could return after missing last week. … LB K.J. Wright has double-digit tackles in past three games, needs three tackles to move into third place on franchise all-time list. … Fantasy tip: Vikings are giving up just 94.2 yards per game on ground. Carson may have lost some opportunity with continued ball security issues and Penny’s performance. Might be good idea to stay away from Carson this week.