SEATTLE — The last time the Vikings were shut out, head coach Kevin O’Connell was still playing quarterback for San Diego State. That’s because it had been 18 years since the Vikings failed to put up a single point in a game.

Not anymore.

After looking lifeless in the final 30 minutes of play last weekend in a 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, the Vikings were even worse across 60 minutes of play this weekend in a 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

A putrid effort from the offense on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field spoiled a solid effort from the defense.

The problems for the Vikings offensively extend far beyond rookie quarterback Max Brosmer being thrown into the deep end of the pool. It seems what was once the biggest strength for the Vikings has become their biggest weakness.

Here are some takeaways from the loss:

Kevin O’Connell had another questionable play call

The fact that O’Connell is constantly being criticized for his play calling speaks to where the Vikings are at right now.

Though some of that criticism has been misguided coming from a frustrated fan base, the critics have every right to be upset with latest the play call that O’Connell dialed up in a short yardage situation.

Never mind that the Vikings only needed to gain a yard to move the chains against the Seahawks shortly before halftime. That was apparently a long enough distance for O’Connell to abandon the run in favor trusting Brosmer to make something happen.

It went worse than O’Connell could’ve ever imagined as Brosmer panicked under pressure and threw an interception that was returned 85 yards the other way for a touchdown. It was a questionable play call in real time that was made so much worse by what happened after after the snap.

It almost feels like O’Connell is allergic to running the ball in short yardage situation.

Maybe because he doesn’t trust the interior of the offensive line. Maybe because he is wired to air it out as much as possible. Maybe a little bit of both.

Max Brosmer wasn’t ready for the limelight

It was fun to talk about Brosmer last week leading up to the first start of his career. He genuinely felt like somebody worth getting excited about with how glowingly everybody spoke about his skill set.

That optimism proved to be fleeting as Brosmer looked overwhelmed while starting for the Viking in the game against the Seahawks. He completed 19 of 30 pass attempts for 126 yards, no touchdowns, and four interceptions.

The biggest mistake from Brosmer was obviously the interception he threw in teh red zone that was returned for a touchdown. The turned the game upside down and the Vikings never recovered.

There’s a chance Brosmer could still carve out a niche for himself as a backup. He’s certainly not ready to be a starter anytime soon.

Justin Jefferson declined comment

The way star receiver Justin Jefferson has carried himself over the past couple of months has been admirable to say the least.

He has hyped up whoever is throwing him the ball, whether it was young quarterback J.J. McCarthy, or veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. He even expressed confidence in Brosmer last week before the first start of his career.

After the worst game of his career, however, Jefferson started to show some signs of frustration. He left the locker room without talking to reporters after the Vikings got embarrassed by the Seahawks. That’s not normal for somebody that has typically spoken after every game, win, lose, or draw.

The stat line was shocking as Jefferson only recorded two reception for four yards. He was actually at negative yardage late in the game before a catch in garbage time.

The lack of production is clearly starting to get to Jefferson as he hasn’t eclipsed 100 yards in a game since the Vikings were across the pond a couple of months ago.

Christian Darrisaw missed the game

The absence of star left tackle Christian Darrisaw played a role in the Vikings being unable to move the ball against the Seahawks. Let’s just say the drop off from Darrisaw to reserve left tackle Justin Skule is immense.

That made life much harder for Brosmer whenever he dropped back to pass.

This is the first time that Darrisaw has missed a game entirely since returning from a significant knee injury. That said, Darrisaw has pulled himself out of a number of games early as he has navigated the recovery process.

It’s risen to a level with Darrisaw that it’s  worth monitoring his availability moving forward.

Dallas Turner continued his breakout

The ascension of edge rusher Dallas Turner appears to be a for real. He recorded a pair of sacks for the Vikings against the Seahawks, proving himself as a force to be reckoned with whenever he’s rushing the passer.

That standout performance from Turner extended his recent hot streak as he has now recorded a sack in back to back to back games. If he can continue to raise his game, he help the Vikings feel a little bit better about their future.

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Today is Monday, Dec. 1, the 335th day of 2025. There are 30 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 1, 1991, Ukrainians voted overwhelmingly for independence from the Soviet Union.

Also on this date:

In 1824, the presidential election was turned over to the U.S. House of Representatives after none of the candidates (John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, William H. Crawford and Henry Clay) won more than 50% of the electoral vote. Despite Jackson winning the most electoral votes, Adams would ultimately win the presidency.

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In 1955, Rosa Parks, a Black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. The incident sparked a yearlong boycott of the city’s buses and helped fuel the U.S. civil rights movement.

In 1965, the first “Freedom Flight” from Cuba to the United States landed in Miami. Over the ensuing eight years, the twice-daily flights allowed more than 250,000 Cuban refugees to migrate to the United States through a joint U.S.-Cuban agreement.

In 1969, the U.S. government held its first draft lottery for military service since World War II.

In 2009, President Barack Obama ordered 30,000 more U.S. troops into the war in Afghanistan but promised during a speech to cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point to begin withdrawals in 18 months.

In 2017, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, who served in President Donald Trump’s first term as his initial national security adviser, pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about reaching out to the Russians on Trump’s behalf. (Trump would later pardon Flynn.)

In 2020, a huge radio telescope in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, that played a key role in astronomical discoveries for more than half a century collapsed. The collapse stunned many scientists who long had relied on what was once the largest radio telescope in the world.

In 2023, Israel’s war with Hamas, which began in October, erupted anew minutes after a weeklong truce expired as Israeli airstrikes hit houses and buildings in the Gaza Strip.

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Baseball Hall of Famer Larry Walker is 59.
Actor Néstor Carbonell is 58.
Actor-comedian Sarah Silverman is 55.
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SEATTLE — The frustration appears to be setting in for star receiver Justin Jefferson.

After the Vikings were embarrassed in a 26-0 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field, Jefferson left the locker room without talking to reporters. The fact that Jefferson declined comment is notable because he has typically spoken after every game — win, lose, or draw.

It’s not a coincidence that Jefferson chose not to speak publicly after only two catches for a career-low four yards.

Though he has shown incredible professionalism over the past couple of months, Jefferson — who has only two touchdown receptions in 11 games — appears to slowly be reaching a boiling point as the Vikings struggle to find their identity on offense.

Asked last week about some of the offensive woes, Jefferson replied, “It’s frustrating to be up here and say the same things every single week.” The lack of production is clearly starting to wear on Jefferson as he searches for answers.

Thielen a healthy scratch

The homecoming has not gone according to plan for veteran receiver Adam Thielen. He hasn’t made much of an impacton the field this season after being acquired via a trade with the Carolina Panthers over the summer, and his snap count has steadily declined over the past couple of months.

That played a role in him being a healthy scratch for the Vikings against the Seahawks on Sunday.

“Just file it under a coach’s decision looking at where we are at some other positions around our roster,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said. “We’re just trying to do what we think is best to win and make sure we’ve got some depth at some other spots.”

Turner has a solid showing

The rise of edge rusher Dallas Turner is a silver lining amid a disappointing campaign. He has come into his own over the past few weeks, recording a sack against the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers before adding a pair of sacks against the Seahawks.

“It was just playing fast,” Turner said. “I feel like that was what happened.”

As the Vikings navigate some hard times, Turner credited veterans edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, among a handful of other defensive players, for helping keep spirits up.

“We have some great older leaders on the defensive side of the ball,” Turner said. “We love working together and bonding together no matter what.”

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Minnesota trailed San Antonio by four to open the final frame Sunday night at Target Center. 

Then the Timberwolves put the Spurs away with six-plus minutes of their very best basketball of the season.

The Wolves moved the ball freely, with possessions flush with drives and kicks and swings that were paid off with buried open triples. It was a fitting ode to the opposition — the Spurs are the Godfathers of basketball’s beautiful game.

On the other end, Minnesota was relentless with its ball pressure and rotations, not allowing the Spurs’ offense that it couldn’t contain for the first three quarters any room to operate.

Minnesota opened the quarter on a 25-7 run to cruise to a 125-112 win over San Antonio — the Wolves’ second straight win, with both coming over teams with winning records after dropping their first seven such contests this season.

Anthony Edwards finished with 32 points, six assists and four rebounds on a night where he shot a blistering 13 for 18 from the field. And the star guard subbed in for part of that majestic period of basketball excellence.

But the run started with Naz Reid, Julius Randle, Mike Conley, Jaden McDaniels and Donte DiVincenzo. They moved the ball with precision and purpose. All five guys on the floor scored in the first five and a half minutes of the quarter before Spurs coach Mitch Johnson finally called timeout with Minnesota’s lead up to 10.

Sure, the Spurs played center-less for that portion of the contest, which allowed Minnesota’s smaller unit to defend better than it has for much of the season. San Antonio is currently without star big man Victor Wembanyama.

Still, Minnesota was dialed in. Conley noted after Saturday’s win over Boston that the Wolves have so much talent, the defense can suffer because of it.

“I think we have so many guys that can push the ball, score the ball, and that’s the fun part of the game. Everybody looks to run, everybody looks to play with pace,” the guard said. “That’s something we set out to do this year is play faster, throw the ball out, get guys more opportunities. When you’re doing that, you can slip up on the other end with what made you good in prior seasons. Because the fun part is putting that ball in the hole and everybody having a good night.

“But it’s equally hard to do both, and I think we’re finding that out. To run, to play offense and to guard is really hard to do.”

Minnesota has demonstrated that thus far this season, as the defense has waxed and waned. The Wolves simply tried to score alongside the Celtics in the first half Saturday and then did the same for three quarters Sunday against San Antonio.

“But if you want to be one of the better teams, you’ve got to do both,” Conley said. “And that’s what we’re trying to do.”

That’s what the best teams in the NBA do — the two to three that can go to sleep at night truly believing they’re NBA title contenders. The brand of basketball Minnesota played in the fourth quarter Sunday emulated that standard.

That has to be what Minnesota holds itself to moving forward. The results are clear. The Wolves shot 56% from the floor and 46% from deep. The team tallied 35 assists, 12 of which belonged to Randle. Seven players scored eight-plus points.

And, most importantly, Minnesota scored a key win.

Sunday’s fourth quarter provided the path, the roadmap to sustained success and championship contention. This pack of Wolves has found its North Star — how frequently it can follow it will determine its seasonlong success.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – NOVEMBER 30: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves rebounds the ball against Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter at Target Center on November 30, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, right, defends against San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Sunday, Nov. 30, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)