MINNEAPOLIS — If Adrian Peterson faced the Seattle Seahawks more, he wouldn’t be the NFL’s rushing champion.
And if Seattle’s defense continues to keep opponents out of the end zone like this, its season may go on a while.
The Seahawks did on Sunday what it had done when the Seahawks and Vikings played here last month. They throttled Peterson “all day,” to borrow the seven-time Pro Bowl running back’s and 2012 league most valuable player’s nickname.
Peterson gained just 45 yards on 23 carries as the sixth-seeded Seahawks rallied late to beat the third-seeded Vikings 10-9 in the NFC wild-card playoffs on a frigid afternoon at TCF Bank Stadium.
“Just getting a body on him. Tackling him,” Seahawks Pro Bowl middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said after he had a team-high eight tackles and a sack Sunday. “Not letting just one guy tackle him. Just getting all on him.”
As they had Dec. 6 in a 38-7 win here, the Seahawks stayed disciplined inside their assigned gaps, and patient in staying in those gaps instead of chasing Peterson. That limited Peterson’s ability to make cuts into the open field, one of his specialties he used to gain 1,485 yards in the regular season and 11,675 yards in his nine-year career.
Peterson had 63 yards on 31 rushes in the two games these teams played this season. That — and Sunday’s luck at the end of the contest — are why the Seahawks won both games and are playing this coming weekend in the divisional round at Carolina, the NFC’s top seed.
“He’s a great player, Wagner said. “But we feel we have a great defense.”
Indeed, the respect was all over the Seahawks’ defense. Peterson said Seattle Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas approached him on the field immediately after the game and said: “Hey, man, I have so much respect for you, because each game you know that teams are coming in and are focusing on stopping the run, and you still come in and continue to chop. That’s why I love and respect you.”
Speaking of respect: The Seahawks have allowed just one offensive touchdown during their six-game winning streak on the road, which is where they will stay as long as they stay alive in this postseason. Seattle has allowed just 43 points in those last six away games.
The only points Minnesota scored Sunday, three field goals, came off three mistakes by Seattle’s offense and punting team. The third mistake came late in the third quarter. Derrick Coleman had Minnesota punt returner Marcus Sherels corralled in Vikings territory. But then Coleman was flagged for a horse-collar tackle. That 15-yard foul resulted in Minnesota starting its drive at the Seattle 48.
And that resulted in the Vikings’ third field goal, from 48 yards by Blair Walsh. It was 9-0 Minnesota.
The game’s only score of the first half, a short field goal by Walsh, came after Seattle’s only huge error of the first two quarters. Clint Gresham dribbled a snap back to punter Jon Ryan. The athletic Ryan deftly avoided the only punt-rusher in the backfield and had time to reload and punt. Instead, the contestant on television’s “American Ninja Warrior” last spring boldly tried to run the 7 yards for the first down. He got 4 then face-planted into the turf while almost hurdling a Viking.
Seattle’s defense held again following the turnover on downs at its own 29, forcing the field goal.
The Seahawks had the NFL’s No. 1 rush defense in the regular season, allowing an average of 81.5 yards per game. They have given up an average of just 36 yards per game in their last four road games.
That’s a mighty fine Seahawks sign heading to Carolina.
“Fantastic,” coach Pete Carroll said. “A great football player on the other side and we totally respect everything about Adrian. …
“Our guys are capable of playing run defense like this; we’ve been doing it for some time now. That’s what we expected to do — and it was awesome they could carry it out all day long.”
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