The Seattle Seahawks are NFL Champions after a dominating win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 60 this past Sunday. While they are off enjoying the victory and the champagne showers, other teams, including the Minnesota Vikings, should and will analyze this squad and try to figure out and copy the aspects of their team that got them to this level.
NFL teams love to try to mimic what Super Bowl winners do, in hopes that they can have the same fortune.
Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't, but let's go over four things the Vikings should try to steal from the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks.
What the Minnesota Vikings should steal from the Seattle Seahawks to turn into a contender in 2026
1. Dominant Defensive Line
This refers to the big men who put their hands in the dirt and smash big bellies against opposing offensive linemen.
The Vikings have a great front seven, but their interior players pale in comparison to the Seahawks' defensive line.
Byron Murphy was an absolute beast during the Super Bowl. He displayed everything an elite defensive tackle should possess. Murphy used power, explosiveness, quickness, and a variety of pass rush moves on his way to a two-tackle, two-sack performance.
The Seahawks also have Leonard Williams at defensive end, who wasn't overly noisy in the Super Bowl but did have seven sacks and over 60 tackles on the season.
They have Jarran Reed in the middle who stuffs the run, and then utilize rushers like Demarcus Lawrence and Derrick Hall who can consistently pressure the quarterback. It's an overabundance of talent, and one that took over games for the Seahawks, not just in the regular season but also in the playoffs.
Minnesota does have one exciting piece on its defensive line, and that's Jalen Redmond. Jonathan Allen can be a nice depth piece next year, but they have to find their Byron Murphy and improve that interior pass rush.
Pick No. 18 in this year's NFL Draft could be the spot they choose do that.
2. Strong Running Game
For a minute, it looked like the Vikings would be committed to the run in 2025. They heavily invested in their offensive line in free agency and the draft, and traded for Jordan Mason to pair with Aaron Jones.
But it didn't pan out, in part due to injuries across the front, but even when it was working, Kevin O'Connell just wouldn't commit to it.
The Seahawks love to run the football and seem to take pride in it. The Super Bowl was a microcosm of how they ran the football all season long.
Seattle fed Kenneth Walker 27 times. It wasn't always there, but Walker ended up with 135 yards on the ground and was named the game's MVP.
The Seahawks stuck with the run, knowing they had a great defense to back them up, and eventually the Patriots' front would wear down. That's what happened, and late in the game, those two to three-yard gains turned into five to six-yard gains, if not more.
Minnesota needs to pound the football the way Seattle did in 2025. They proved that wearing down teams on the ground and playing dominating defense leads to championships.
O'Connell needs to steal this formula, swallow it, and make it something he loves, or this team will again fall short of its goals.
3. Steady Quarterback Play
Sam Darnold is a Super Bowl champion, and good for him. He wasn't lights out in the game, but he was a steady presence that operated the offense and protected the football.
He threw for just over 200 yards, one touchdown, and had a quarterback rating of 74.7. Those aren't pants-dropping numbers, but he didn't turn the ball over and was a magician at eluding pressure.
He kept drives alive by avoiding rushers and ran when he had to. He found the open targets and didn't force the ball down the field. He was the perfect complement to the Seahawks' powerful ground attack.
This is all the Vikings need in 2026. They don't have to have a quarterback roll out there and throw for 300-plus yards every game. Just a guy who can complete the easy passes and not turn the ball over.
It doesn't matter if that player is J.J. McCarthy, someone they trade for, or a free agent. As long as that player can play clean and steady, Minnesota should be able to win a lot of football games.
4. Conservative Play
As stated above, the NFL is a copycat league, and a few seasons ago, Dan Campbell's gambling and risk-taking ways for the Detroit Lions were the talk of the league.
His risky decisions helped get the Lions to the NFC Championship in 2023, and in the following years, we saw more and more teams trying to emulate that approach.
The Seahawks did the opposite in this season's Super Bowl. Instead of going for it on fourth down multiple times, they kicked the field goal. It's not sexy, but when your defense is dominating, a 12-point, field-goal-only lead can look insurmountable.
The gambling, aggressive trend may not be over in the NFL, but Seattle took the points, and O'Connell should look to do the same in 2026.
He will have an exceptional defense that should be able to keep teams in check. The Vikings may not need a lot of points to win games next year. Minnesota also has a stellar kicker in Will Reichard, who just doesn't miss.
We've seen O'Connell eschew points in the past by going for it on fourth down, but maybe this Super Bowl performance by Seattle will sway him to play more conservatively in the future.