Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold is coming into Week 13 to take revenge against his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. Head coach Kevin O’Connell didn’t show trust in the veteran and let him go. But the Vikes aren’t going to give him a simple pass. In fact, the signal caller cautioned his teammates about the defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ schemes.

“Obviously, a really great challenge for us going up against Flo (Brian Flores) and his defense and all the different problems that you can create for an offence,” Darnold said. “A great scheme, but also really good players, and their whole team.”

Surprisingly, the Vikings are having a dull season, with a 4-7 record. But Sam Darnold knows Flores could mount a defense when no one expects them to. It happened during the Week 9 game against the Detroit Lions when the Vikes won 27-24. They also have more tackles (728) than the Hawks (696).

Another way they can frustrate the quarterback is by forcing fumbles. Though the team has lost the last three games, they are eighth in the league in forced fumbles (11). The Hawks’ defense on the other side ranks at the 31st position. Basically, Sam Darnold and his team need to stop turnovers.

What gives Flores an edge is an injury-free roster. Their final injury report listed running back George Holani (hamstring) and defensive end Rylie Mills (knee) out for the matchup. Safety Ty Okada is questionable with an oblique injury. The Hawks’ head coach, Mike Macdonald, has prepared his backups already.

If Okada is out, he will be replaced with safety Quandre Diggs, providing crucial solidity to the entire lineup. There’s a reason Darnold is cautious. Every game matters now. The season is now at its decisive stage. They are in the playoff hunt and just one place behind the Los Angeles Rams, who sit at the top of the NFC South division with nine wins.

A win against the Vikings will propel them to the same record, pushing them to be the division winners. However, for the QB, the game also brings back memories of playing at the US Bank Stadium, with thousands of fans screaming his name. It almost made him emotional.

Sam Darnold reminisces about his time in Minnesota

Last year was one of the most dominant runs the Vikings have had in recent years. Had they not lost the season-ender to the Lions, they would have finished on top of the division. Although they lost, they still had a 14-3 record. So, Sam Darnold revealed his stance on the one year he spent there.

“I’m very grateful for the time that I spent there. All the people that I created relationships with, all the people in that locker room, all the coaches there, the people in that building,” Darnold said.

He has to be grateful. Darnold finished the 2024 season with career highs in pass completion rate, pass attempts, and completions, passing yards, and touchdowns. He started all seventeen games, and had his best record (14-3), completing 361 of 545 passes (66.5% completion rate) for 4,319 passing yards, thirty-five touchdowns, and twelve interceptions.

All that is a thing of the past now as he is “excited” to start for the Seahawks. He is more accurate than last year (69.5% completion rate). It will be an adrenaline-filled battle.