Takeaways from the Vikings’ 26-0 loss to the Seahawks

SEATTLE The last time the Vikings were shut out head coach Kevin O Connell was still playing quarterback for San Diego State That s because it had been years since the Vikings failed to put up a single point in a competition Not anymore After looking lifeless in the final minutes of play last weekend in a - loss to the Green Bay Packers the Vikings were even worse across minutes of play this weekend in a - loss to the Seattle Seahawks A putrid effort from the offense on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field spoiled a solid effort from the defense The problems for the Vikings offensively extend far beyond rookie quarterback Max Brosmer being thrown into the deep end of the pool It seems what was once the biggest strength for the Vikings has become their biggest weakness Here are certain takeaways from the loss Kevin O Connell had another questionable play call The fact that O Connell is constantly being criticized for his play calling speaks to where the Vikings are at right now Though various of that criticism has been misguided coming from a frustrated fan base the critics have every right to be upset with latest the play call that O Connell dialed up in a short yardage situation Never mind that the Vikings only needed to gain a yard to move the chains against the Seahawks shortly before halftime That was apparently a long enough distance for O Connell to abandon the run in favor trusting Brosmer to make something happen It went worse than O Connell could ve ever imagined as Brosmer panicked under pressure and threw an interception that was returned yards the other way for a touchdown It was a questionable play call in real time that was made so much worse by what happened after after the snap It almost feels like O Connell is allergic to running the ball in short yardage situation Maybe because he doesn t trust the interior of the offensive line Maybe because he is wired to air it out as much as workable Maybe a little bit of both Max Brosmer wasn t ready for the limelight It was fun to talk about Brosmer last week leading up to the first start of his career He genuinely felt like somebody worth getting excited about with how glowingly everybody spoke about his skill set That optimism proved to be fleeting as Brosmer looked overwhelmed while starting for the Viking in the encounter against the Seahawks He completed of pass attempts for yards no touchdowns and four interceptions The biggest mistake from Brosmer was obviously the interception he threw in teh red zone that was returned for a touchdown The turned the match upside down and the Vikings never recovered There s a chance Brosmer could still carve out a niche for himself as a backup He s certainly not ready to be a starter anytime soon Justin Jefferson declined comment The way star receiver Justin Jefferson has carried himself over the past couple of months has been admirable to say the least He has hyped up whoever is throwing him the ball whether it was young quarterback J J McCarthy or veteran quarterback Carson Wentz He even expressed confidence in Brosmer last week before the first start of his career After the worst contest of his career however Jefferson started to show particular signs of frustration He left the locker room without talking to reporters after the Vikings got embarrassed by the Seahawks That s not normal for somebody that has typically spoken after every battle win lose or draw The stat line was shocking as Jefferson only recorded two reception for four yards He was really at negative yardage late in the tournament before a catch in garbage time The lack of production is clearly starting to get to Jefferson as he hasn t eclipsed yards in a competition since the Vikings were across the pond a couple of months ago Christian Darrisaw missed the competition The absence of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw played a role in the Vikings being unable to move the ball against the Seahawks Let s just say the drop off from Darrisaw to reserve left tackle Justin Skule is immense That made life much harder for Brosmer whenever he dropped back to pass This is the first time that Darrisaw has missed a challenge entirely since returning from a vital knee injury That revealed Darrisaw has pulled himself out of a number of games early as he has navigated the recovery process It s risen to a level with Darrisaw that it s worth monitoring his availability moving forward Dallas Turner continued his breakout The ascension of edge rusher Dallas Turner appears to be a for real He recorded a pair of sacks for the Vikings against the Seahawks proving himself as a force to be reckoned with whenever he s rushing the passer That standout performance from Turner extended his current hot streak as he has now recorded a sack in back to back to back games If he can continue to raise his championship he help the Vikings feel a little bit better about their future Related Articles Justin Jefferson declines comment after worst tournament of his career Shipley Forget the QB play The Vikings aren t good Vikings get embarrassed by Seahawks in Max Brosmer s first start Vikings were without Christian Darrisaw for Max Brosmer s first start Vikings picks We have a Max Brosmer believer