Ernest Jones IV intercepted two passes, returning one for a touchdown, and Jason Myers kicked four field goals as the Seattle Seahawks defeated the visiting Minnesota Vikings 26-0 on Sunday.
Zach Charbonnet scored the lone offensive touchdown for the Seahawks on a 17-yard run around the left end with 9:11 remaining.
Seattle (9-3) moved into a first-place tie atop the NFC West with the Los Angeles Rams. The Seahawks posted their first shutout since Sept. 27, 2015, when they beat Chicago by the same margin.
Vikings quarterback Max Brosmer, an undrafted rookie from the University of Minnesota, got his first NFL start in place of the injured J.J. McCarthy (concussion protocol). Brosmer was 19-of-30 passing for 126 yards and four interceptions.
The Vikings (4-8) managed just 162 yards of total offense with five turnovers.
Seattle’s Sam Darnold, who resurrected his career with the Vikings last season, was 14 of 26 for 128 yards. Kenneth Walker III and Charbonnet combined for 108 yards rushing. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who leads the league in receiving yards, made just two catches for 23 yards.
The Seahawks took a 13-0 halftime lead thanks to a blunder by Brosmer.
Trailing 3-0 and facing a fourth-and-1 at Seattle’s 4-yard line late in the second quarter, Brosmer dropped back and was tracked down by defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence near the 20-yard line. As Brosmer was falling, he tried an underhanded pass that went right to linebacker Jones, who was untouched on his 85-yard return.
Myers opened the scoring on a 33-yard field goal with 7:10 remaining in the second quarter and added a 56-yarder with eight seconds to go.
Myers kicked a 54-yarder on the opening possession of the second half to extend Seattle’s lead to 16-0.
Lawrence forced a fumble on the Vikings’ next possession, tracking down Aaron Jones from behind following a reception. That led to Myers’ fourth field goal, a 40-yarder.
Seattle’s Coby Bryant picked off an overthrown pass by Brosmer late in the third, the Vikings’ third turnover, and Jones got his second interception on Minnesota’s next possession.
Riq Woolen picked off a pass in the fourth, though he fumbled the ball back to the Vikings on the return.
–Field Level Media
