The Minnesota Vikings and Seattle Seahawks are moving on to the Divisional Round of the 2019-2020 NFL Playoffs after winning their Sunday Wildcard games against the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles, respectively.
The Vikings beat the Saints 26-20 in overtime Sunday afternoon on a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Rudolph from quarterback Kirk Cousins with 10:40 left in the extra quarter. The touchdown pass came three plays after Cousins connected with a 1st and 10 deep pass to wide receiver Adam Thielen from the Saints 45-yard-line that put the football at the New Orleans 2-yard-line.
Cousins had a great game as he competed 19 of his 31 total pass attempts for 242 yards and the one touchdown pass to Rudolph in overtime. He did not throw an interception against the Saints but was sacked twice.
Thielen led all Vikings pass catchers in the Wildcard game with seven receptions for 129 yards. Running back Dalvin Cook rushed for 94 yards and two touchdowns in the Vikings win and also chipped in three receptions for another 36 yards. Vikings kicker Dan Bailey chipped in two field goals from 43 and 21 yards, respectively.
The Vikings defense was led Sunday in tackles by safety Harrison Smith with 11 and the unit sacked Saints quarterback Drew Brees twice during the contest and forced him to fumble away the football once. Brees ended the game having completed 26 of his 33 total pass attempts for 208 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Vikings safety Anthony Harris was responsible for the interception.
The Vikings had led from late in the second half until late regulation as Saints kicker Wil Lutz kicked a game-tying 49-yard field goal with 20-seconds left in the fourth quarter. The Vikings, however, won the overtime time coin toss and then proceeded to drive 75 yards on nine plays for the game-winning touchdown.
In the late Sunday NFC Wildcard game, the Seahawks beat the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field 17-9.
Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson completed 18 of his 30 total pass attempts for 325 yards and a touchdown in Sunday’s win and rookie wide receiver caught seven of those throws for 160 yards and a score.
Wilson also rushed 45 yards on nine carries against the Eagles and running back Marshawn Lynch had seven yards and a touchdown on his six total carries. Seahawks kicker Jason Myers chipped in an early game field goal from 49-yards out to put Seattle ahead 3-0 in the first qyarter.
The Seahawks defense was led Sunday in tackles by safety Bradley McDougald with 11 and the Seattle defense registered seven total sacks during the game. Six of those seven sacks were of Eagles quarterback Josh McCown, who was forced to relive injured staring quarterback Carson Wentz in the second quarter.
McCown went on to complete 18 of his 24 total pass attempts for 174 yards after relieving Wentz, who was just 1-of-4 for 3 yards in his brief playing time on Sunday. The Eagles offense was 0-3 in the red zone and Sunday and thus all three of the team’s scores in the game were field goals by kicker Jake Elliott with the longest one of them being from 46-yards out.
The results of the two Sunday NFC Wildcard games now means the Vikings will play the San Francisco 49ers on the road next Saturday and that the Seahawks will play the Green Bay Packers on the road next Sunday in Divisional Round action.
