The Vikings have put together some impressive performances this season but nothing topped what Brad Childress' team did on Sunday. As I wrote in the game story, Childress asked his players Saturday night in their team meeting who felt like the Vikings had played their best game so far this season. Not one player raised his hand.
Childress loves the psychology aspect of things and obviously he was telling his players he (and they) knew that they could play better. On Sunday, they did just that. The Vikings got about as complete ofperformanceas you are going to get from all three phases in their 35-9 victory. Brett Favre continues to lplay like an MVP and on Sunday set a team and personal mark by completing 80 percent of his passes.
He also threw for four touchdowns for the 22nd time in his career, breaking Dan Marino's record of 21 games with four touchdown tosses.
The Vikings' defense also put on an impressive display, holding Seattle to 4 yards rushing (the second-best performance in team history) and1-for-10 on third down. Through three quarters, the Seahawks had four first downs, 3 yards rushing, were 0-for-7 on third down and didn't have a touchdown.
Here some other odds and ends from today's game.
Timely takeaway Childress praised the play Jamarca Sanford on special teams last week, and the rookie delivered a huge play that helped break open the game after the Vikings scored to take a 14-0 in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, Sanford stripped the ball out of Seattle returner Ben Obomanu’s hands and Heath Farwell recovered it at the Seahawks 34-yard line. Sanford said special teams coordinator Brian Murphy mentioned that Obomanu doesn’t always secure the ball and might be susceptible to the strip. “I just saw him carrying the ball loose,” Sanford said. “Coach Murphy talked about it all week, to go for the strip because he carries it loose. I went for the strip and made the play.” The Vikings turned the turnover into seven points on Brett Favre’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Bernard Berrian with 1 minute 17 seconds left in the half. “It’s definitely big,” Berrian said. “It’s a short field. The percentages of scoring on a short field like that are very high. It makes it a lot easier on us and a lot tougher on them.”
That's a first Sanford wasn’t the only rookie defensive back to create a turnover. Cornerback Asher Allen grabbed his first NFL interception late in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck’s throw to Deion Branch sailed wide near the sideline and Allen made a diving interception. “Oh man, it’s great,” Allen said. “Just trying to play hard and do my part. Coach made a great call and I was fortunate to make a play.” Allen said he planned to place the ball on his coffee table as a conversation starter. Put hand in the air Sidney Rice added another highlight reel catch to his growing resume on a 7-yard touchdown in the third quarter. Rice said he was supposed to stop his route at the goal line, but he drifted to the back of the end zone when he saw Favre scrambling to his right. Favre lofted a pass over two Seattle defenders, and Rice jumped high to grab it. Asked if he’s confident that Favre will throw him the ball if he sticks his hand up in that situation, Rice said: “It’s worth a shot. It’s worth trying to get him to see me. They’re not going to see you every time. But I’m glad he was able to see me.” Rice has a 40-inch vertical leap so he felt confident he could reach it. “Of course,” he said. “Every time it’s in the air I feel like it’s mine.” Rice hobbled to the sideline after the play. He said he caught a cramp in his calf. Change of plans Percy Harvin seemed content to let a fourth-quarter kickoff go for a touchback. The Vikings planned for an onsides kick but the Seahawks elected to kick it deep. Harvin raced back and saw the ball bounce near the goal line, thinking it would travel into the end zone. Instead, it stayed in the field, forcing Hharvin to make a quick decision. He grabbed the ball in traffic at the 2 and returned it 18 yards. “I actually thought it was going to take one more bounce,” he said. “We really didn’t want to take a return being that we didn’t have blockers on the field. I thought it was going to turn one more time but it bounced on the [2-yard line] so I had to pick it up. I just ran and tried to get some yards out of it.” Harvin got shaken up on a 25-yard catch in the third quarter when he got sandwiched by two Seattle players on a tackle. Harvin said he got hit on his hip bone but that it wasn’t serious. “It wasn’t that hard of a hit,” he said. “He just kind of hit me on the right spot.” Injury updates -- WRPercy Harvin said he took a shot to the hip on a 25-yard catch but he was fine. -- LB Ben Leber said he took a shot to the back of his leg in the fourth quarter but was able to return. Leber thought he had nothing more than a bruise. -- WRSidney Rice said he had a crampin his calf on his 7-yardTD catch but also was fine.