Filling in for an injured Harrison Smith, Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson came up with a huge play on Sunday to give the team an impressive win on the road over the Seattle Seahawks.
Jackson picked off Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith with less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, and that play sealed a Vikings victory in Seattle for the first time since the 2006 season.
With the win, Minnesota now has a 13-2 record with two games left on its 2024 regular-season schedule. If the Vikings win both of their remaining matchups, then they will not only emerge as the NFC North champions, but they will also have home-field throughout the playoffs by finishing the season as the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
Sam Darnold and Justin Jefferson lead Minnesota Vikings late in Week 16 win over Seattle Seahawks
When Minnesota needed them the most on Sunday, the team's best players stepped up and delivered huge plays.
Trailing by four points with 4:21 left on the clock in the final quarter of the contest, Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold and All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson stepped on the field with a purpose.
Darnold quickly led Minnesota's offense on a four-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a beautiful 39-yard connection in the end zone to Jefferson to give the Vikings the lead. Minnesota led by three points after that drive and that turned out to be all they needed to get a win over the Seahawks
In the victory, Darnold threw for 246 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions while Jefferson put together his best performance of the 2024 season with 10 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns.
As they've done all year, Minnesota's defense came up with big plays again on Sunday. The Vikings forced two turnovers and held Seattle to just 2-of-10 on their third-down attempts.
And not to be forgotten, Minnesota rookie kicker Will Reichard knocked down all five of his kicks this weekend, including both of his field-goal attempts. Following his performance on Sunday, Reichard is now 19-of-22 on his field-goal tries this season.
Up next for the Vikings is a tough divisional matchup against the Green Bay Packers. The game will be played inside Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium, but much like Sunday's contest, it will likely come down to the final few plays.