Seahawks week 5 preview: 5 things to know about Vikings

The Seahawks play the Vikings in week five and here are 5 things to know about Minnesota.

The Seattle Seahawks are 4-0 and the Minnesota Vikings are 1-3. But would it matter if Seattle was 15-0 and Minnesota 0-15? The game would still be close because Seattle, yo! But to let 12s know more about Seattle’s week five opponent, we asked five questions to the great Adam Carlson (perfect Nordic name, right?) of FanSided’s Vikings site, The Viking Age.

Here are his answers.

Dalvin Cook

12th Man Rising: The Vikings may be 1-3 (though we all know they are better than their record) but Dalvin Cook has been a beast. How good is he compared to other backs and what should 12s expect him to do versus the Seahawks?

Adam Carlson: Dalvin Cook is absolutely rolling this season. Not only is he leading the league in rushing yards through the first four weeks of the season but he also has the most rushing touchdowns. His power, speed, and acceleration are a tough combination to deal with and even great teams like Seattle will need to be surefire tacklers to take him down.

Expect to see Cook early and often. Minnesota will use him to set up the play-action passing game. If that is allowed to happen, the Vikings may be able to put some points on the board and make this game interesting.

Kirk Cousins

12th Man Rising: Kirk Cousins hasn’t been consistently bad but has struggled a bit more this year than in recent seasons. Is this just based on a 4 game sample or is something else going on with the Vikings offense?

Adam Carlson: It’s hard to say that Cousins has been bad based on his performance this year. Taking on amazing defenses like Green Bay, Indianapolis, and Tennessee will make any team look pedestrian, but for what the Vikings quarterback is getting paid, expectations are high for the passer.

The real downfall comes with the offensive line’s inability to provide Cousins with the time needed to read the field. The real weakness is the interior of the line, and strong defensive tackles can feast against them on a regular basis.

Two surprising Vikings

12th Man Rising: Who are two or three Vikings that might surprise 12s and the Seahawks on Sunday and have a big impact?

Adam Carlson: Most fans are aware of the star players for the Vikings. Heck, even Justin Jefferson is getting national attention for his breakout performance this season. But there are some players that people may not be aware of who could make a difference in the game on Sunday.

Offensively, Seahawks fans will want to keep an eye out for Alexander Mattison. While Dalvin Cook is bound to get a bulk of the carries for Minnesota, the backup will get some looks in relief and his powerful running style can make for some very interesting runs.

Defensively, D.J. Wonnum is one to keep an eye on. In limited snaps, the backup/situational pass rusher has been making a name for himself as a Danielle Hunter clone who needs to refine his skills. He got his first sack last week and should notch a few more this season.

Reasons for Vikings fan to be hopeful versus Seahawks

12th Man Rising: What are a couple of reasons Vikings fans should have hope versus the Seahawks in week five and what might be the biggest fears?

Adam Carlson: Vikings fans can’t feel confident heading into this game. To be honest, the best thing for those who love Minnesota to do is to accept that Seattle is the better team and keep expectations very low. Nobody should expect this Minnesota team to win in Seattle, especially since they haven’t gotten a victory there since 2006 and have lost six straight against them.

Any hope of the Minnesota win has to come through the defense stepping up and more big games from Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen, and Justin Jefferson. Even then, it would take some mistakes from Russell Wilson to give the Vikings hope…and he’s not known for making too many errors.

Who wins week 5 Vikings versus Seahawks

12th Man Rising: What is your prediction for week five and why?

Adam Carlson: Clubber Lang said it best in Rocky III. Pain is what the most likely outcome will be for Minnesota Vikings fans. It would be exceptionally unwise to predict a win for the purple and gold against a team with the skills of the Seahawks. This game has the potential to get ugly fast and that could very well be the outcome.

There is a reason the Seahawks are seven-point favorites heading into the game. Everything just seems to be in Seattle’s favor on Sunday and that means Minnesota will leave the Emerald City with a 1-4 record.