Seahawks Defense Delivers Historic Shutout Victory
The Seattle Seahawks delivered a defensive masterclass on Sunday, blanking the Minnesota Vikings 26-0 at Lumen Field for their first shutout victory in more than a decade. The dominant performance featured five takeaways by Seattle's defense, which completely overwhelmed the visiting team.
Ernest Jones IV returned an interception 84 yards for the first touchdown of his career, highlighting a spectacular day for the Seahawks' defensive unit. The victory marked Seattle's most recent shutout win since their 26-0 triumph over Chicago on September 27, 2015.
Vikings Struggle Against Relentless Defense
The game proved to be a complete mismatch from the outset. The Seahawks, now 9-3 on the season, faced undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, who was making his first NFL start for the struggling Vikings. Minnesota, falling to 4-8 with their fourth consecutive loss, suffered their first shutout since Green Bay defeated them 34-0 on November 11, 2007.
With this important victory, Seattle moved into a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West division, positioning themselves strongly for postseason contention as the regular season enters its final stretch.
Around the NFL: Dolphins Edge Saints in Thriller
In other Sunday action, the Miami Dolphins secured their third straight victory by holding off the New Orleans Saints 21-17 at Miami Gardens. Rookie running back De'Von Achane rushed for 134 yards and a touchdown, helping the Dolphins improve to 5-7 and keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Saints mounted a late comeback, closing to 19-17 with 1:17 remaining on Tyler Shough's 15-yard touchdown pass to Devaughn Vele. However, Minkah Fitzpatrick intercepted Shough on the two-point conversion attempt and returned it to the opposite end zone, giving Miami two crucial points.
New Orleans, now 2-10 after losing six of their last seven games, had one final opportunity after recovering an onside kick from Charlie Smyth - the former Gaelic football player from Northern Ireland making his NFL regular-season debut. Miami's defense ultimately stopped Shough on fourth-and-one at the Dolphins' 36-yard line to seal the victory.
49ers Continue Winning Streak
The San Francisco 49ers extended their winning streak to three games with a convincing 26-8 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Quarterback Brock Purdy rushed for a touchdown and passed for another score in the second half, spoiling Shedeur Sanders's first home start for Cleveland.
Despite Cleveland taking an 8-7 lead late in the second quarter when Sanders connected with Harold Fannin for a 34-yard touchdown, San Francisco scored the next 19 points to improve to 9-4. All three of the 49ers' touchdowns came on short fields, with two resulting from recovered turnovers and another following a 66-yard punt return by Skyy Moore.
Purdy completed 16 of 29 passes for 168 yards, while Sanders finished 16-of-25 for 149 yards and a touchdown for the struggling Browns, who fell to 3-9 on the season.
Additional NFL Results
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers snapped their three-game losing streak with a 20-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals. Baker Mayfield, playing through a left shoulder injury, tossed a two-yard touchdown pass to All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs as Tampa Bay improved to 7-5 and maintained first place in the NFC South.
In other key matchups:
- Jacksonville Jaguars defeated Tennessee Titans 25-3 for their third straight victory
- Houston Texans edged Indianapolis Colts 20-16 for their fourth consecutive win
- New York Jets beat Atlanta Falcons 27-24 on Nick Folk's 56-yard field goal as time expired
- Los Angeles Chargers defeated Las Vegas Raiders 31-14 behind Justin Herbert's two touchdown passes
The weekend results significantly impacted playoff positioning across both conferences, with several division races tightening as the season enters its crucial final weeks.
