Veteran safety Harrison Smith and third-year wideout Brandon Zylstra stand out in the Minnesota Vikings' 25-19 win over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night.
PFF's ReFocused series features immediate takeaways from the two analysts who graded the game live. The two offer a detailed breakdown of the game's most notable performances before the grades and advanced stats are reviewed and finalized by Senior Analysts.
All of PFF's grades and advanced stats from this game and the other games played this week will be finalized and made available to ELITE subscribers within 24 hours of the final whistle. ELITE subscribers can view player grades, advanced statistics, positional snap counts and more in Premium Stats.
Final Score
Minnesota Vikings 25, Seattle Seahawks 19
Minnesota Vikings
Harrison Smith recorded a defensive stop and a great pass breakup in limited action against Seattle on Sunday. The Notre Dame product earned an uncharacteristic 79.7 overall grade a year ago, but all signs point to a bounce-back season for him in 2019.
Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2017, Brandon Zylstra caught all five of his targets for 37 yards and a touchdown in this one. He showed off great contested-catch ability on multiple targets and picked up first downs on four of his five receptions.
Seattle Seahawks
WideoutsTyler Lockett and Jaron Brown combined for five receptions and 79 receiving yards as Seattle's top targets. Three of the duo's receptions went for 15-plus yards, as well.
Second-year Texas product Poona Ford was a one-man wrecking crew in the run game against Minnesota's offensive line. He was a constant in the backfield and recorded multiple defensive stops.
Minnesota Vikings
A victim of Ford's onslaught, Vikings guard Pat Elflein was a liability in the run game and in pass protection. Elflein earned a 41.9 overall grade across his 863 offensive snaps played in 2018.
Edge defender Stephen Weatherly didn't wow as a pass-rusher and missed a tackle in the run game in limited action. The 2016 seventh-rounder had a similar outing in the week prior, as well, earning a 58.8 overall grade across 23 defensive snaps against the New Orleans Saints in the Vikes' first preseason game.
Seattle Seahawks
Offensive tackle Germain Ifedi turned in a strong performance in pass protection, but his efforts as a run blocker were underwhelming. He lost his block and earned negative marks in the run game multiple times on the night, dragging his overall performance way down.
Safety Shalom Luani didn't play a ton against Minnesota, but he did allow multiple receptions for first downs on the few snaps he did take the field. He also finished the game without a defensive stop.
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