The wild card matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings may not have been as hectic as the fourth quarter of the game in Cincinnati, but this was certainly an interesting matchup if you are a fan of tough defenses. Minnesota led 3-0 at the end of the first half and added a pair of field goals in the third quarter to take a 9-0 lead. However, momentum turned when Russell Wilson made a spectacular play after a snap slipped through his fingers. He managed to pick up the ball and somehow complete a pass to Tyler Lockett, who turned the play into a 35-yard gain. Two plays later, Wilson hit his favorite target, Doug Baldwin, to reduce the Minnesota lead to two points. On the next possession, Kam Chancellor stripped Adrian Peterson, leading to a 46-yard field goal to take a 10-9 lead. After two punts for each team, Teddy Bridgewater led his team on what could have been the game-winning drive, but Blair Walsh’s 27-yard field goal attempt was no good. The Seahawks will head to Carolina next week to take on the 15-1 Panthers.
Here at Last Word on Sports, we’ll be handing out post game awards immediately after each NFL playoff game. In particular, we’ll be naming a game MVP, most surprising performance, an unsung hero and the biggest disappointment.
Without further ado, let’s take a look at which players distinguished themselves (both good and bad) with their performance today.
Seattle Seahawks vs Minnesota Vikings Post Game Awards
Game MVP: Russell Wilson
This was a game where no individual really stood out because many different players made crucial plays, but I have to give Russell Wilson the MVP because of the remarkable play he made that led to the only touchdown of the game. Most quarterbacks in the NFL would have covered up the fumbled snap, but Wilson managed to stand up and look for an open receiver. He only had 163 total yards with one touchdown and one interception, but he managed to come up with a huge play when his team needed him the most. I was also considering Kam Chancellor for this award because of his huge forced fumble, but he made a few coverage mistakes and a critical penalty that put the Vikings in field goal range on the final possession.
Surprise Performance: Christine Michael
One of the huge storylines this week revolved around Marshawn Lynch and whether he would return for this playoff game. However, he was not able to play and his backup, Thomas Rawls, was placed on injured reserve in December. Despite these huge absences at running back, Christine Michael was able to step up and put together a surprising performance. He carried the ball 21 times for 70 yards plus one fourteen-yard reception. 84 total yards in a very low scoring game (Seattle only had 226 total yards) for a guy who was not even on the Seahawks until mid-December is extremely impressive.
Unsung Hero: Michael Bennett
While Michael Bennett did not exactly light up the stat sheet, his impact was certainly felt. He was constantly in the Minnesota backfield, whether he was pressuring Teddy Bridgewater or limiting Adrian Peterson. Matt Kalil did not have an answer for Bennett and performances like this are why Seattle gave him the big money contract. He won’t be discussed frequently on ESPN because there wasn’t one huge, game changing play that he made, but it’s safe to say the Seattle defense would have been in trouble without him.
Biggest Disappointment: Adrian Peterson
The Minnesota Vikings offense lives and dies with the success or failure of Adrian Peterson, and today the offense died. Adrian Peterson was limited to 45 rushing yards on 23 attempts (2.0 yards per carry) and 13 receiving yards on two receptions. Against a very good defense, Peterson needed to have a big game and take pressure off young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but he just couldn’t find any holes. Furthermore, the play that really stung for Peterson was his crucial fumble in the fourth quarter that allowed the Seahawks to take the lead. I certainly give credit to a fantastic effort by the Seattle defense, but I’m sure Peterson is disappointed he couldn’t make a real impact today. Blair Walsh is also a candidate for biggest disappointment, as he definitely had the most disappointing play (missing a short game-winning field goal attempt), but he made two attempts of 40+ yards in the freezing cold and scored all 9 of Minnesota’s points, so he gets a little slack.
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