Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings: Week 13 keys to victory

Keys to victory for the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings as the two teams square off Week 13, Monday night at CenturyLink Field.

The Seattle Seahawks are set to host the Minnesota Vikings in a prime-time affair Monday night at CenturyLink Field. The game is crucial to both NFC contenders, who are still eyeing their division titles but currently fighting for the top seed of the wild-card spots.

Here are the Week 13 keys to victory for both the Seahawks and the Vikings.

Vikings’ keys to victory: The Vikings are coming off their bye week well-rested and ready to face the Seahawks in primetime. Minnesota, like Seattle, is second in their divisional standings and can’t afford an NFC loss in the final stretch of the season.

The Vikings will need to rely heavily on their quarterback Kirk Cousins, one of the better signal-callers in the league with 21 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Cousins, whose record in primetime is less than sub-par, is actually in the midst of the best campaign of his career.

Minnesota’s defense, however, will have to find a way to stop Seattle’s own QB, Russell Wilson, who is enjoying an MVP-caliber year.

Seahawks’ keys to victory: Seattle has been a better road team this season and desperately needs a win in front of the home crowd. Hard to beat on the national stage, Wilson and Co. will need to stick to basics, relying on running backs Chris Carson and Rashaad Penny to pound the ground and set the tempo for a Week-13 win.

The Seahawks have finally found a way to rush the passer, which is exactly what they will need to do to stop Cousins and the Vikings’ offensive attack. That being said. . .

Matchup to watch: Vikings QB Kirk Cousins vs. Seahawks defensive ends Late in the season, Jadeveon Clowney has truly emerged as one of Seattle’s most formidable defensive weapons. Recently battling a hip/groin injury, his health could be a question mark heading into Monday night. Fortunately for Seattle, Ziggy Ansah has stepped up and will likely factor heavily into the game plan.

Who wins? The Seahawks will find a way to seal the deal with a statement win on Monday night but it might require some last-minute Wilson heroics to get the job done.

Seahawks 27, Vikings 20.

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Seahawks Week 13 preview and prediction: Minnesota at Seattle

Who will come out on top Monday night of Week 13 as the Seattle Seahawks host the Minnesota Vikings in primetime? Our preview and prediction.

Only eight days removed from grinding out a defensive win over the Eagles in Philadelphia, the Seahawks won’t get much of a reprieve in Week 13. The late-season gauntlet for Seattle continues with a home duel against the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota will enter Seattle with a nearly identical situation as the Seahawks. The Vikings are 8-3 and sitting in a wild card spot barely behind their division rivals in the Packers while the Seahawks are 9-2 and just behind their primary rivals, the 49ers.

A win on Monday night is crucial for both teams for two different reasons. First and foremost, it is critical in the wild card standings. The Vikings have a chance to leapfrog the Seahawks to the No. 5 seed with a win, while Seattle can tighten up its grip on the No. 5 seed by taking care of business at home.

The second reason has to do with divisional standings. Division titles are still very much within grasp of both teams, with the NFC North title actually being a little closer for the Vikings. Green Bay and Minnesota share identical 8-3 records, with the Packers only holding on with a head-to-head tiebreaker. Meanwhile, the Seahawks are desperate to keep pace with a Niners team hellbent on running away with it.

The Vikings boast one of the most talented rosters in all of football and the Seahawks are one of the hottest teams in the league. It certainly looks like Monday night is shaping into must-watch television this week.

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How to watch and stream Broncos’ game against Chargers

When will the Broncos’ game against the Chargers start? What TV channel will the game be on? Where can I find a live stream? Answers here.

The Denver Broncos (3-8) will host the Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) at Empower Field at Mile High in Week 13 of the 2019 NFL season on Sunday, Dec. 1 at 2:25 p.m. MT. The game will air on CBS and in-market fans can stream the contest using FuboTV (try it free).

Andrew Catalon (play-by-play) and James Lofton (analyst) will call the game for CBS. On the radio, the game will air nationally on Sports USA.

On local radio, the contest will air on KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM and The Fox 103.5 FM in English. The contest will also air in Spanish on KNRV 1150 AM.

Fans in the blue areas will get the game on local CBS stations, according to 506sports.com.

Those in the red will see the Oakland Raiders (6-5) face the Kansas City Chiefs (7-4). Those in the gray won’t see a late game due to NFL blackout rules.

The Broncos are considered 1.5-point underdogs against the Chargers.

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6 Best bets for NFL Week 13

After going 5-2 on Thanksgiving, best bets include picks in Patriots-Texans, an Over-Under in Packers-Giants, and sticking with the Browns.

You’re currently coming out of a long weekend haze, trying to figure out how many calories you had from Wednesday night all the way into Saturday. It’s been a week full of food, drinks, friends, family, and football. Now you get more football on Sunday. There are some really good games. Those games may not be the best contests to bet on, but what else are you going to do on Sunday?

If you followed our advice for Thanksgiving you started the week with a nice 5-2 record. Let’s get right to the games.

As usual, the home teams are in CAPS, and we are using Bet MGM for our odds. Games will be listed at -110 unless denoted otherwise.

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Seahawks vs. Vikings: Week 13 Monday night injury report

Who’s in and who’s out for the Week 13, Monday-night contest between the Seattle Seahawks and the Minnesota Vikings at CenturyLink Field.

The Seattle Seahawks are set to square off against the Minnesota Vikings in primetime Monday night at CenturyLink Field.

Below are the injury reports for both Seattle and Minnesota, which will be updated to include practice participation statuses following the teams’ walkthroughs.

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Chris Carson remains the Seahawks starting running back

Despite the emergence of running back Rashaad Penny Week 12, Chris Carson remains the Seattle Seahawks starting running back for now.

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson struggled last week against the Philadelphia Eagles while Rashaad Penny posted one of the better games of his career. But for now, it appears there is no starting running back controversy in Seattle.

“I mean, Chris is our guy,” offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer said Friday. “We know that. He’s playing terrific football as well. But, like what happened last year some, each week, sometimes different guys step up. It happens that way in the passing game. Different receivers step up. Happened in the running game.

“Of course, we want to get Rashaad his touches, get him in the game – in terms of forcing it to happen, we’re not going to do that.”

Against the Eagles, Penny finished the day with 14 carries for 129 yards and a career-long, 58-yard touchdown run.

Penny’s off-season work paid off for both him and the Seahawks and Schottenheimer has noticed a real difference in the second-year running back.

“I think he feels better, I think he feels like his conditioning is better” Schottenheimer explained. “I think that’s part of the confidence of a young player. Hey, I feel better. I feel like I can do more. It’s cool to see him get rewarded for that when he goes out and performs the way that he did.”

So for now, Seattle will continue to utilize the one-two punch of Carson and Penny, playing whoever is hot at the time. The Seahawks running backs’ next chance to square off is Monday night against the Vikings in primetime.

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Jadeveon Clowney will not undergo core muscle surgery for now

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney will hold off on surgery for his core muscle injury and try to manage it this season.

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney has been dealing with a nasty core muscle injury since the team’s Week 10 win over the San Francisco 49ers. Coach Pete Carroll has already gone on record stating that he is “counting on” the veteran edge rusher to play Monday night against the Minnesota Vikings.

Clowney told reporters before practice on Friday that his health is improving. “I’m feeling better,” he said via ESPN. “Getting ready to go today. See how it’s going to go.”

Carroll had said earlier in the week Clowney would not be undergoing surgery immediately and the defensive end plans on holding off on a procedure for now.

“Not at this moment, I don’t,” he said. “That’s a good thing. I ain’t too worried about it. I’m feeling better today. Worry about tomorrow when it gets here. Live for today.”

Clowney is aware that he will likely have to deal with his injury throughout the rest of the season and is determined to finish the year on a good note. He expressed the team is on board with his game plan.

“Oh yeah. They know that,” he said. “Something we know, but got to finish this thing strong.”

The Seahawks will likely need Clowney to be healthy if they want to make a strong postseason run, so fans will hope that he can manage it for the rest of the regular season and beyond.

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Know who to root for: Saints fan watching guide to NFL Week 13

There are many NFL games for New Orleans Saints to watch during Week 13, including the San Francisco 49ers’ visit with the Baltimore Ravens.

The New Orleans Saints handled their business on Thanksgiving with an NFC South-clinching win over the Atlanta Falcons, and they received some help in the earlier games considering the greater scope of the NFC playoff picture. The visiting Buffalo Bills ran roughshod over the Dallas Cowboys, who are hanging onto the NFC East title by a thread, while the Chicago Bears outlasted the Detroit Lions, guaranteeing a longer stay for inconsistent quarterback Mitchell Trubisky.

Now, Saints fans get a long, stress-free weekend of football. Here’s who you should hope wins every game left on the Week 13 schedule, with some serious playoff implications on the line. All odds come from BetMGM.

Around the NFC South

Washington Redskins (2-9) at Carolina Panthers (5-6). Panthers by 9.5. It’s time for the other NFC South teams to start playing for draft position, which means it’s in their interest to lose out and get better players next year. Don’t let that happen, and root for Washington to pull off an upset.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) at Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7). Jaguars by 2.5. If Tampa Bay wins, they’ll have worse draft positioning and maybe talk themselves into sticking with Jameis Winston at quarterback. Root for that.

Painting the NFC Playoff Picture

San Francisco 49ers (10-1) at Baltimore Ravens (9-2). Ravens by 5.5. Root for the Ravens to win and force the 49ers into a tough spot before their game with the Saints next week.

Minnesota Vikings (8-3) at Seattle Seahawks (9-2). Vikings by 2.5. These teams are playing for playoff seeding, so root for the Seahawks to defend the fifth seed and keep the Vikings a guaranteed road team.

Green Bay Packers (8-3) at New York Giants (2-9). Packers by 6.5. The Packers have a tenuous hold on the NFC North; root for chaos, and a big Giants upset.

Los Angeles Rams (6-5) at Arizona Cardinals (3-7-1). Kyler Murray may not play this game due to an injury, but root for the Cardinals either way. The Rams can’t afford another loss and still hope to reach the playoffs.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-6) at Miami Dolphins (2-9). Eagles by 9.5. The Eagles would easily be the worst NFC playoff team if they displace the Cowboys, so root for them to win here.

Leftovers and Lagniappe

Tennessee Titans (6-5) at Indianapolis Colts (6-5). Colts by 2.5. New Orleans has to play both of these teams down the stretch, so it can be hard to pick one or the other in this game. A Colts loss would decrease their playoff chances and maybe make them throw in the towel ahead of their Monday Night Football game with the Saints in a few weeks. Root for Tennessee.

New England Patriots (10-1) at Houston Texans (7-4). Patriots by 3.5. Never pull for the Patriots. Root for the Texans and young star quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Oakland Raiders (6-5) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-4). Chiefs by 9.5. Raiders fans can use a win after their strange loss to the Jets, so root for that despite their long odds.

Los Angeles Chargers (4-7) at Denver Broncos (3-8). Chargers by 2.5. The Broncos are auditioning rookie quarterback Drew Lock, so root for him to thrive and keep Denver from drafting another rookie highly next year (when the Saints are scheduled to visit).

New York Jets (4-7) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-11). Jets by 3.5. Bengals fans don’t deserve this after all their team has put them through. Root for them to finally get a win.

Cleveland Browns (5-6) at Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5). Browns by 1.5. Many LSU Tigers fans can sympathize with embattled Browns wideouts Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, and cornerback Greedy Williams. Root for them to win and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Seahawks opposing QB profile: Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins

A closer look at the Seattle Seahawks upcoming opposing quarterback Week 13 – Minnesota Vikings signal-caller, Kirk Cousins.

Following their 17-9 defensive slugfest victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Seattle Seahawks now have a much stiffer contest against the 8-3 Minnesota Vikings and their quarterback, Kirk Cousins.

Cousins will lead his Vikings against the Seahawks in a rematch of last year’s Week 14 Monday night game played in Seattle. Unfortunately for Minnesota, the Seahawks dominated in a 21-7 victory, further feeding the narrative of Cousins’ inability to win in primetime.

As a starter, Cousins’ record in the national spotlight is a paltry 7-13, with an 0-7 record on Monday nights. Cousins is somewhat of an enigma to evaluate. He always produces solid numbers, wins plenty of games to stay well within the playoff hunt, but is seemingly always incapable of winning the ones that matter the most.

However, the Seahawks certainly won’t be paying attention to Cousins’ lousy primetime record as he is in the midst of perhaps his best season yet. Cousins has thrown for 2,756 yards, 21 touchdowns against only 3 interceptions and a sky-high passer rating of 114.8, which is higher than Seattle’s own Russell Wilson and his rating of 112.1.

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll certainly holds Cousins in high regard, even admitting he and Wilson were quite similar when both quarterbacks were interviewed by Seattle during the combine for the 2012 NFL draft.

“It was interesting back at the combine when Russ and Kirk were coming out,” Carroll said Wednesday. “I recall it as we went back to back with those guys in our meetings up in the hotel. You couldn’t expect to be more impressed by two back to back guys coming out and talking about the game, their future, their awareness, their resolve, their commitment and competitiveness.”

Cousins will now be leading an incredibly talented roster against the one team ahead of them in the wild-card standings. The Vikings will certainly be hungry to prove they can win on the road against an elite NFC team. The Seahawks are playing their best defense of the year and will need to keep their high level of play up if they want to defend CenturyLink Field from the invading Vikings.

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Broncos OLB Von Miller ’50-50′ to play against Chargers

Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller is questionable for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.

After sitting out practice Wednesday and Thursday with a knee injury, Denver Broncos outside linebacker Von Miller was limited at practice on Friday and is listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report.

“He’s gotten better every day,” coach Vic Fangio said Friday. “He didn’t practice the first two days, but he was doing some stuff and today he made progress. It’s truly 50-50 whether he’ll be able to go or not.”

If Miller does not play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, Malik Reed and Jeremiah Attaochu would likely be the team’s two starting outside linebackers.

Denver inside linebackers Alexander Johnson (knee) and Josey Jewell (ankle) are also questionable for Sunday. Joseph Jones and Josh Watson are the team’s available backup inside linebackers.

Fangio also said that if right tackle Ja’Wuan James (knee) is healthy enough to dress, he will start the game. It’s uncertain if that means Elijah Wilkinson would start at left tackle if James is healthy. Wilkinson has been starting on the right side of the line as an injury fill-in for James.

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