Scouting report: Vikings vs. Seahawks

November 29, 2019 at 3:58AM

Monday: 7:15 p.m. at CenturyLink Field (Ch. 4 ESPN, 100.3-FM)

ABOUT THE Seahawks

• Seattle (9-2) reached 6-0 on the road last weekend with a 17-9 win in Philadelphia. It could have been 21-3 by halftime if not for two blown touchdown passes — an overthrow by QB Russell Wilson and drop by receiver DK Metcalf. Seattle's defense forced a season-high five takeaways in the win.

• Receiver Tyler Lockett, Seattle's top weapon, will be three weeks removed from hospitalization due to severe swelling in his leg. His first game back in Philadelphia saw Lockett serve more as a decoy. The Seahawks have added tall targets in Metcalf (listed 6-4) and Josh Gordon (6-3) to the offense.

• The Seahawks' 23rd-ranked defense has surrendered yards, but it trails only New England and Pittsburgh in takeaways with 24.

• DE Jadeveon Clowney, traded from Houston to Seattle on Aug. 31, leads the Seahawks defense in quarterback hits (12), sacks (three) and forced fumbles (three).

PLAYER SPEAK | QB Russell Wilson

• Wilson is stating his MVP case with a career-best 112.1 quarterback rating in his eighth NFL season. He's lifted the Seahawks' fifth-ranked offense with 27 touchdowns (24 passing) while throwing just three interceptions.

• Wilson, 30, is the NFL's highest-paid player at $35 million per season. He's one of six QBs to sign a contract surpassing Kirk Cousins' $28 million average salary.

• Seahawks coach Pete Carroll on Wilson: "It's been an extension of him continuing to approve. He's at the best of his career, meaning he's a little bit more in tune, a little bit faster, a little bit more in command."

• Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on Wilson: "He's really accurate. They've got the quick passing game, they've got the [run-pass options], they've got the shots down the field. When he starts to scramble, he throws such a great deep ball that a lot of bad things can happen."

COACH SPEAK | Pete Carroll

• Only four NFL head coaches have held their jobs longer than Carroll, who is in his 10th season as Seahawks coach with a 98-56-1 regular-season record (.635), a 9-6 record in the playoffs and one Super Bowl championship.

• Carroll, 68, has overseen above-average defenses nearly every year in Seattle, but this year's Seahawks (23rd in yards, 21st in points) could have their worst rankings since Carroll's first season in 2010.

• On the defense:  "We're playing the best we've played all year. We had five turnovers last week, three the week before — that's a huge factor in winning and for your team."

• On defending the Vikings offense: "They have a style we really appreciate, because they do run the football and try to play ball-control football. It's a real nice attack in general and we have a lot of respect for it. Kirk [Cousins] is playing great."

Andrew Krammer

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