NFL Preseason Week 1 Game Recap: Seattle Seahawks 24, Minnesota Vikings 13

The Seattle Seahawks kicked off the 2023 NFL preseason with a 24-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the second leg of a Thursday night doubleheader. 

Offensive spotlight: Vikings backup running back Ty Chandler ran hard to kick off the game, with five carries for 27 yards to go along with two receptions for 12 yards. Chandler finished the first half with 41 rushing yards and 29 receiving yards, touching the ball on seemingly every snap for Minnesota. He was decisive and frequently made sharp cuts upfield in a hurry, and his overall stat line did not reflect his effectiveness after turning would-be losses into small gains and would-be small gains into bigger gains. Chandler could carve out a role behind Alexander Mattison as the Vikings pivot to a committee approach in the backfield after releasing Dalvin Cook earlier this offseason. 

Defensive spotlight: Seahawks sophomore cornerback Coby Bryant brought a serious edge to the first week of the preseason, making several key tackles in the first half, including a big hit on Jalen Reagor over the middle that drew a penalty flag. Vikings edge defender Luiji Vilain registered the lone sack of the first half, taking down quarterback Drew Lock and adding another pressure on just six total first-half pass rush snaps. 

Rookie spotlight: Vikings first-round rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison made the most impressive catch of the game on a play that was ruled incomplete and won’t show up in the box score, but the replay showed he clearly got two feet down in bounds as he corralled a pass from Nick Mullens along the left sideline. Addison found his way onto the box score with a 22-yard reception on a deep over route a series or two later, and he could’ve run for more yards after the catch with a ball that hit him in stride. 

On the other side, Seahawks first-round rookie wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba hauled in three catches for 25 yards in the first half, with a nice grab for 15 yards as he outran several defenders when he got the ball, illustrating the top-end elusiveness that made him the first wideout selected in this year’s draft. 

Offensive line spotlight: Both offensive lines held up well in pass protection throughout the first half, as the Seahawks allowed three total pressures across 11 dropbacks while the Vikings allowed just two pressures across 18 pass-blocking snaps. Altogether, the Seahawks conceded eight total pressures in 29 total pass-blocking snaps while the Vikings conceded 13 total pressures across 36 pass-blocking snaps on first review. 

Box Score

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

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