By The Associated Press’s Chis Talbott
SEATTLE With 3:51 remaining, Sam Darnold found a well-covered Justin Jefferson for his third touchdown pass of the game, and the Minnesota Vikings defeated Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks 27–24 on Sunday to stay in the lead over Detroit for the NFC championship.
A 15-yard facemask penalty let Darnold lead a 30-second drive after Smith’s third touchdown pass gave the Seahawks the lead. With two defenders closing in, he stepped up in a collapsing pocket and blasted a deep ball that Jefferson dragged in just short of the goal line.
Jefferson helped the Vikings (13-2) win their eighth consecutive game with 10 receptions for 148 yards and two touchdowns. They will receive the conference’s top seed and a first-round playoff bye if they defeat Detroit and Green Bay to end the season.
This season, Darnold threw for more than 200 yards for the tenth time and multiple touchdowns for the eleventh time. He helped Kevin O. Connell become the first Vikings coach to have successive 13-win seasons with a 22 of 35, 246-yard performance.
Not bad for a veteran who was signed to a one-year contract as a stand-in after J.J. McCarthy was selected by the Vikings and had a season-ending knee injury during the preseason.
With 4:41 remaining, Smith’s 4-yard touchdown pass to AJ Barner gave the Seahawks a 24–20 lead. However, after Jefferson’s TD reception, Smith was unable to rally Seattle (8–7). Smith had thrown for 314 yards. Following the two-minute warning, Jason Myers missed a 60-yard field goal attempt, and with 49 seconds remaining, Theo Jackson stopped Smith to complete the score.
Following a four-game winning streak, the Seahawks have dropped two straight games and are now one game behind the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West.
Smith also had 18-yard passes to Jaxon Smith-Njigba and 25-yard passes to DK Metcalf. Additionally, he was twice intercepted. Smith-Njigba gained 95 yards with eight receptions.
This season, Minnesota is now 8-1 in one-score games.
On Sunday, December 22, 2024, in Seattle, linebacker Boye Mafe (53), of the Seattle Seahawks, sacks Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) during the first half of an NFL football game. (Stephen Brashear/AP Photo)
Darnold’s 5-yard pass to Jordan Addison, who was open in the middle of the end zone for his third grab of the series, gave the Vikings a 7-0 lead after a 12-play opening drive that took 6:54.
Early in the second quarter, Smith found Metcalf in the right corner of the end zone while Stefon Gilmore was man-to-man covering him. Since Week 7, this was Metcalf’s first touchdown reception.
Two drives later, Darnold answered with a 14-yard pass to Jefferson over Tre Brown, who was single-covered on the All-Pro’s corner route, to make it 14-7.
On the first play of Seattle’s first drive, Joshua Metellus put pressure on Smith, and Dallas Turner intercepted a throw to Noah Fant, setting up Minnesota at the Seattle 31. Boye Mafe sacked Darnold, and the Vikings had to settle for a 52-yard field goal from Will Reichard.
With 20 seconds remaining in the half, Smith trimmed the score to 17-14 by leading the Seahawks 88 yards in 1:05 on five plays. On the drive, he discovered Smith-Njigba three times. With the first, a 13-yard reception, the second-year athlete achieved his first receiving 1,000 yards. The second, for 25 yards against the Vikings 18, caused Smith-Njigba to flex his biceps in front of the spectators. The score was the third’s goal.
Receiving milestones
Metcalf caught his 47th career touchdown with the Seahawks, ending a lengthy run without a touchdown. As a result, he moved up to sixth place on the team’s career touchdown chart and passed Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent.
Smith-Njigba became the tenth receiver in Seahawks history to have a season with 1,000 yards.
In the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, December 22, 2024, in Seattle, wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) of the Seattle Seahawks catches a 25-yard touchdown pass ahead of Minnesota Vikings CB Stephon Gilmore (2). (Photo by Lindsey Wasson/AP)AP
Injuries
Vikings: S Harrison Smith missed a game for the first time since 2022 due to an injury to his foot.
Seahawks: RB Kenneth Walker III departed the game due to an ankle injury, while LB Trevis Gipson (ankle) was placed on injured reserve.
Up next
Next Sunday, the Vikings will host Green Bay.
Seahawks: Thursday against Chicago.
https://apnews.com/hub/nfl is the AP NFL.
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