With Sam Darnold watching, Vikings' QB mess hits a new low in shutout loss to Seahawks

The Minnesota Vikings decided last offseason that Sam Darnold was not the answer at quarterback.

That may ultimately prove to be true. But they continue to reel in the aftermath of his exit and suffered an embarrassing 26-0 loss on Sunday to Darnold's Seattle Seahawks.

Playing with their third quarterback of the season, the Viking mustered 48 yards of offense in the first half. Things didn't go any better after halftime as undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer was overwhelmed by a swarming Seahawks defense in his debut as and NFL starter.

Brosmer started Sunday for injured former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy (concussion), who's faced his own struggles in his first full season as starter as Darnold's replacement. Fellow former first-round pick Carson Wentz has likewise demonstrated in five starts for an injured McCarthy why multiple teams have given up on him.

Worst pass of the NFL season?

But on Sunday — with Darnold on the opposing sideline — the Vikings hit a new low with Brosmer, who clearly wasn't ready to face NFL competition. No play demonstrated that ineptitude better than on Minnesota's best chance to score after a Seattle turnover near its own end zone.

With 3:14 remaining in the second quarter and a chance to take the lead, the Vikings went for it on fourth-and-1 at the Seattle 4-yard line. Brosmer faced immediate pressure from DeMarcus Lawrence, who didn't bite on play-action. From there, Brosmer ran backward 20 yards before recklessly heaving the ball toward the goal line.

Linebacker Ernest Jones secured a gift-wrapped interception at the 15-yard line and returned it 85 yards for what turned out to be the only touchdown of the half by either side and a 10-0 Seattle lead.

It was more than enough for the Seahawks, who piled on with four field goals by Jason Myers and a second-half touchdown run from Zach Charbonnet.

Brosmer's interception, meanwhile, is a play that should not exist on an NFL field — neither in decision-making nor execution. And it set the tone for the rest of a landslide Seahawks victory in which Seattle didn't need nor get much from Darnold.

Minnesota's ineptitude, by the numbers

When it was over, Brosmer had completed 19 of 30 passes for 126 yards with 4 interceptions and, obviously, no touchdowns.

The Vikings finished with five total turnovers on a day that belied head coach Kevin O'Connell's reputation as an offensive guru. It turns out that you need players in the NFL.

The Vikings tallied 162 total yards of offense on 3.2 yards per play. They managed just 11 first downs.

And All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson didn't tally a catch until the second half. When he did, it went for a 4-yard loss. He finished with 2 catches for 4 yards on the day. And another strong effort from Minnesota's defense went to waste.

Darnold decision has turned into a disaster

Brosmer isn't at the heart of Minnesota's troubles. His effort on Sunday was a symptom of something larger.

Sunday's loss marked the second straight week in which the Vikings didn't score a touchdown. With McCarthy leading the offense, Minnesota mustered just two field goals in last week's 23-6 loss to the rival Green Bay Packers.

The Vikings entered Sunday ranked 28th in the NFL in yards per game (282.6) and 25th in scoring (20.4 ppg), rankings that are poised to dip further when the Week 13 is fully in the books.

And this is a team that went 14-3 with Darnold at quarterback in 2024. Even as Darnold faced his own struggles against a strong Vikings defense (14 of 26, 128 yards, no touchdowns or turnovers) on Sunday, Minnesota fans surely pondered the what if of Darnold suiting up in purple and gold instead of for the opposing team. Those who could stomach watching it, that is.

The Vikings moved on from Darnold for a reason. They'd drafted McCarthy as the quarterback of the future, and Darnold reverted to his former first-round bust ways when the stakes reached their highest in 2024.

But the result of the decision has been disaster at quarterback. And there's little to demonstrate that they'll find a solution any time soon.