Game Summary
With the team’s first 8-1 start since 1998, the Minnesota Vikings (8-1) will stay home for the 2nd of 3 straight games this Sunday, taking on the Seattle Seahawks (3-6) at Mall of America Field. Kickoff is set for noon.
Sunday’s game will be just the 11th matchup between the 2 teams, with the Seahawks holding a 6-4 edge in the previous 10 games. The Vikings have played only 4 home games against the Seahawks and are 2-2 in those contests. This will be the Vikings first regular season game against the Seahawks since the 2006 season, when the Vikings traveled to Seattle to bring home a 31-13 win.
Key Links
Seahawks at Vikings Press Release (PDF)
Latest Vikings Depth Chart
Broadcast Info
TV: FOX Channel 9 in the Twin Cities
Play-By-Play: Dick Stockton Analysts: Charles Davis
Sideline Reporters: TBA
RADIO: KFAN-AM 1130/KTLK 100.3-FM
Play-by-Play: Paul Allen Analyst: Pete Bercich
Sideline Reporter: Greg Coleman
Pre-Game Show: 10 a.m. CT
KFAN and KTLK serve as the flagship stations for the 74-station, 6-state Minnesota Vikings Radio Network. Click here to view all stations on the Vikings Radio Network.
What To Watch For
- RB Adrian Peterson needs just 44 rushing yards to break into the top 10 for the most rushing yards in the first 3 NFL seasons. Peterson, who currently has 4,018 rushing yards, trails Eddie George’s 4,061 for 10th.
- Peterson needs 83 yards to reach 1,000 for the 2009 season. If he does , it will be the 9th consecutive season G Steve Hutchinson has blocked for a 1,000-yard rusher.
- If the Vikings win, it will be the team’s 18th win in the last 22 regular season games and it will mark the team’s first 9-1 start since 1998.
- If the Vikings do not allow a Seahawks running back to reach 100 rushing yards, it will be the 33rd consecutive game the team hasn’t given up 100 yards rushing to an individual. The Vikings current streak of 32 games is the longest active stretch in the NFL. The last player to rush for 100 yards against the Vikings was Packers RB Ryan Grant on 11/11/07 (102 yards).
- With a passer rating of 100+, QB Brett Favre will collect his 101st career game with a 100+ passer rating. Favre’s teams are 92-8 in his 100 career games with a 100+ rating.
Stats of the Week
- WR Sidney Rice finished with 201 receiving yards against the Lions, the 4th-most in a single game in Vikings history. Rice was just 9 yards shy of tying the team record (210), set by Sammy White in 1976. Rice’s 786 receiving yards on the season ranks 4th in the NFL.
- RB Adrian Peterson became the fastest Viking and the 4th-fastest player in NFL history to reach 4,000 career rushing yards when he rushed for 133 last week vs. Detroit. He now has 4,018 rushing yards in just 39 career games. Chuck Foreman held the previous team record, crossing the mark in 57 games.
- Only 18 active players have rushed for more than 4,000 career yards, and only 2 teams have a pair of those 4,000-yard rushers on their current roster: Vikings-Chester Taylor (4,197) and Adrian Peterson (4,016); Dolphins-Ricky Williams (8,329) and Ronnie Brown (4,081).
- KR Percy Harvin currently ranks 1st in the NFL with a 30.7 yard kickoff return average on the season (889 yards on 29 returns). The Vikings record for the most return yards in a season is 1,345 (Buster Rhymes-1985). The team’s highest season average is 28.7 (Aundrae Allison-2007), and the record for the fewest games needed to reach 1,000 yards is 11 (Koren Robinson-2005).
Vikings Big Days vs. Seahawks
- DE Jared Allen notched his lone career interception off Seneca Wallace vs. Seattle (10/29/06) while with the Kansas City Chiefs.
- WR Bernard Berrian caught 3 passes for 108 yards, including a 40-yard TD pass and a 46-yard strike against the Seahawks as a member of the Chicago Bears on 10/1/2006. A year later Berrian set a career-high catching 9 passes for 102 yards vs. Seattle.
- In the 2006 Divisional Playoffs, on Chicago’s road to the Super Bowl, Berrian caught 5 passes for 105 yards, including a 68-yard touchdown in the Bears victory over the Seahawks. It ranks as the 3rd-longest catch of his career.
- Berrian has gone over the 100-yard mark in all 3 matchups, including the playoffs, vs. Seattle, which account for 3 of his 8 career 100-yard games.
- QB Brett Favre threw for 4 touchdowns and a 115.9 passer rating on 9/29/96 vs. Seattle as a member of the Packers on his way to NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors for September. Favre then completed 76% of his passes (19-of-25), and threw for 2 TDs and a 122.9 passer rating when the Packer met the Seahawks on 10/5/2003.
- Favre has played against the Seahawks twice in the post-season, both Divisional round victories. In 2003 Favre led a 4th quarter comeback victory over Seattle when he threw for 319 yards on 26-of- 38 passing, 1 TD and 0 INTs. In 2007 threw for 3 TDs and no INTs on 18-of-23 passing to beat advance to the NFC Championship game.
- CB Cedric Griffin intercepted his 1st career pass when he picked off Seneca Wallace at Seattle (10/22/06).
- LB E.J. Henderson intercepted a Seneca Wallace pass and posted a 0.5 sack of Wallace at Seattle (10/22/06). Henderson also led the team with 12 tackles. Two years prior in 2004 Henderson tied for the team lead with 10 tackles.
- LB Ben Leber had a sack and strip on Seneca Wallace that was recovered in the end zone by Kevin Williams for a TD at Seattle (10/22/06).
- RB Chester Taylor posted the longest play from scrimmage in team history with a 95-yard TD run at Seattle (10/22/06). He finished the game with a career-high 169 yards rushing, which is tied for the 8th best single-game performance.
- DT Kevin Williams scored his 2nd career TD when he recovered a Seahawks fumble in the end zone at Seattle (10/22/06). Williams also had 7 tackles and 1.0 sack in the game. Two years earlier Williams tied for the team lead with 10 tackles against vs. the 49ers and recorded another sack. Williams has notched a sack in each of his 3 career games vs. San Francisco.
- S Madieu Williams notched his 8th career interception off Matt Hasselbeck at Seattle (9/23/07) while with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Vikings vs. Seahawks Series Notes
- The Vikings and Seahawks have only met 10 times in the regular season and the Seahawks hold the overall series edge 6-4.
- The teams have split the series 2-2 when the games have been played in Minnesota.
- The Vikings have won 2 of the last 3 games between the squads, including the last matchup (10/22/06) 31-13.
- Only 2 of the last 7 matchups have been in Minnesota, while 5 have been in Seattle. The Seahawks are 4-3 over that stretch, which dates back to 1987.
- RB Chester Taylor recorded the second-longest play from scrimmage in Vikings history when the teams last met on 10/22/06 with 95-yard TD rush.
- Minnesota won the 1st-ever matchup between the clubs 27-21 in 1976.
- The Vikings have not won back-to-back games against the Seahawks.
- In the Vikings 4 wins in the series history they have never allowed more than 21 points, and are averaging 15.5 points-against in their victories.
A Win Would...
- Give the Vikings a 5-0 home record in 2009.
- Give the VIkings their 11th win in the last 13 games at Mall of America Field.
- Improve the Vikings all-time record against the Seahawks to 5-6-0.
- Give the Vikings their 18th victory in the last 22 regular season games, dating back to 2008. The Vikings are 17-4 in the last 21 games.
- Give the Vikings their first 9-1 start since 1998.
- Give the Vikings their 61st overall win against the NFC West (including post-season) and their 3rd against the division this season.
- Improve Head Coach Brad Childress’ all-time record against the Seahawks to 2-0.
Keep An Eye On...
- With a 100+ passer rating, QB Brett Favre would collect his 101st game with a 100+ QB rating (15 attempts minimum). Favre’s teams are 92-8 in his previous 100 games with a 100+ rating.
- With a 100+ passer rating, Favre would move into a 3rd-place tie for the most games with a 100+ passer rating in a single season in Vikings history. The record is owned by Daunte Culpepper (2000) and Randall Cunningham (1998), who both had 8 games with a 100+ yard passer rating. Thus far in 2009, Favre has 6.
- With a 100+ passer rating, Favre would notch his 3rd consecutive game with that feat and move into a 2nd-place tie for the longest streak of consecutive games with a 100+ passer rating. Favre has finished his last 2 games with a 100+ rating, and the team record is 4.
- With 1 passing TD, Favre would move into a 2nd place tie (Jeff George, Warren Moon) for the most passing TDs in first season with the Vikings. Favre’s 17 thus far rank as the 4th most in team history.
- With 4 passing TDs, Favre can take sole possession in NFL history for the most games with 4+ TDs. He’s currently tied with Dan Marino with 21 for his career.
- With 5 TDs, Favre will reach 500 career regular season combined touchdowns (rushing and passing).
- If RB Adrian Peterson reaches 83+ rushing yards, G Steve Hutchinson will have blocked for his 9th consecutive 1,000-yard rusher.
- With a 100-yard rusher, G Steve Hutchinson would block for his 58th 100-yard rusher and his 27th as a Viking.
- If RB Adrian Peterson rushes for 83+ yards, it will mark the 1st season for T Phil Loadholt and C John Sullivan to block for a 1,000-yard rusher.
- With 83 rushing yards, RB Adrian Peterson can cross the 1,000- yard mark for the 3rd consecutive season. Peterson currently has 917 yards and 11 TDs.
- With 10 catches, WR Sidney Rice can reach 100 career receptions.
- With a receiving TD, TE Visanthe Shiancoe can tie his career high for a single season (7) and move into a 2nd-place tie for the most in a single season in Vikings history.
- With 2 receiving TDs, Shiancoe can tie the team record for the most receiving TDs in a single season by a Vikings TE (Joe Senser-8 in 1981).
