After an offensive juggernaut against the Pittsburg Steelers, and being 4-1 over their last five games, the Seahawks were resembling the team of yonder. Spending most of the season in a daze, it was hard to know if these point explosions—in the last three contests, the offense had scored 32, 29, and 39—were signs of true development or simply a fluke. The team would be tested once again in week 13, facing another likely playoff team. The surprising Minnesota Vikings, who had amassed an 8-3 record, were winning in a way the Seahawks recognized. By utilizing a smart, tough defense, the Vikings kept games close, and by utilizing their dynamic tailback, Adrian Peterson, they set a slow and suffocating pace to games.
The way to beat the Vikings was not so different from the way to beat the Seahawks. Use the pass to build an early lead and put that great defense on its heels instead of its toes, thereby relegating that great running game to the bench. Victory was only a matter of sinking the Viking defense’s low scoring ambitions, but could the offense deliver?
