We've seen it a few times this season already, and each time, the Seattle Seahawks came out with a win, fortunately. I'm speaking of the Seahawks' defense stepping up in the wake of a shaky offensive performance, of course.
In Week 13's 26-0 shutout of the Minnesota Vikings was impressive if you're looking only at the scoreboard, of course, but what was truly impressive, what was the best of the best on this Sunday for Seattle, was their defense.
Yes, it was against the Vikings' unknown backup quarterback, but still, props given to where props deserved. Ernest Jones IV, Coby Bryant, and DeMarcus Lawrence, to name but a few, are deserving of these props, but the entire Seahawks' defense once again showcased why they are not to be trifled with. It was also the defense that finished the game with more winners than losers.
Winner: Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV
Jones missed out on Seattle's Week 13 game against the Tennessee Titans last weekend, but he came back with some fire under his wings against the Vikings. Jones led the Seahawks' defense with 12 tackles (five assisted) and two interceptions — one being a crazy second-quarter pick-six that put Seattle up 10-0.
Jones was electric in this game, as he has been all season. He has continued to be one of the leaders of Seattle's vaunted defensive squad, and he wasted no time leading by example after missing a game. Jones does have one person to thank for his first INT, though: Mr. Max Brosmer. Only Josh Allen is allowed to throw a ball in that fashion, and, well, it's just okay, because he's Josh Allen.
Winner: Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker had another productive game on the ground. He's strung a few of these together in a row, now, and it continued today while also picking up 18 yards on three receptions. While he didn't hit the 100-tards from scrimmage mark (another accomplishment achieved in the last two consecutive weeks), he did carry a significant workload for Seattle's offense.
Sam Darnold didn't mystify with his passing, but he was able to rely heavily on both of his running backs, and Walker came through with 13 carries for 56 yards. Seattle's No. 1 rusher is coming on strong in the second half of this season, and the coaching staff's decision to lean on Walker more is panning out.
Winner: Seahawks running back Zach Charbonnet
With Smith-Njigba not scoring a touchdown against the Vikings, Zach Charbonnet now leads the Seahawks in that category with eight. He's Seattle's No. 2 back behind Walker, and while Walker has more rushing yards this season, Charbonnet has run into the end zone more times.
Charbonnet, like Walker, was relied on heavily against the Vikings, and, again, as with Walker, it paid off for Seattle. Charbonnet ran for 52 yards on 14 carries, one more than Walker's 13. Seattle clearly used their rushing attack to get them through the game, which has been relatively the opposite of most of the season.
Winner: Seahawks edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence
It's surprising, honestly, that Seattle had just two sacks against the Vikings. More interceptions than sacks is not something you see every weekend, given the success rate variances between plays that lean more favorably toward the sack. Nevertheless, one of Seattle's sacks was recorded by former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro DeMarcus Lawrence. That sack was also a forced fumble, leading to his teammate Jones' pick-six score.
Maybe Dallas had good reason to move on from Lawrence, but in any case, Seattle should be thanking Mr. Jones for the decision. Lawrence has been excellent for the Seahawks this year, and his impact against the Vikings resulted in his best game of the season outside of his two-defensive touchdown exploit against the Arizona Cardinals earlier this month.
Loser: Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Let's first have some clarity — Jaxon Smith-Njigba is no loser as it pertains to his play. The NFL's leading wideout had a down game, but what can a man do on just four targets? A.J. Brown is not kidding around. No, Smith-Njigba is only the loser here because of the ground he lost on his chase for history.
Okay, so Brown is a poor comparison to JSN because the Seahawks phenom is actually getting more than enough targets game to game. The point is, he's hunting down Calvin Johnson's historic wide-receiving yards record, and today did nothing to increase his chances further.
What does and can work in JSN's favor, however, is that he and Darnold are more than capable of pulling off a few more 100+ yard games in the five that remain.
Let's also not forget the biggest points winner against the Vikings, the one who led the team with two touchdowns' worth of points: Jason Myers. Seattle's seven-year kicker went 4 for 4 (a 56-yarder included). Sometimes, a team just needs its kicker to be the points getter.