The Minnesota Vikings made a move all fans expected, acquiring Cam Akers midseason for a third consecutive year when Aaron Jones went down with a hamstring injury in Week 3.
But with the emergence of backup running back Zavier Scott and Jones’ return to action, Akers proved expendable. He was released on November 25, leading to the Seattle Seahawks moving quickly to sign Akers the following day.
A former second-round pick, Akers’ familiarity with Kevin O’Connell’s system was his greatest asset as he was an instant contributor upon his arrival the past three seasons.
Akers figures to play a role in helping scout the Vikings offense that will be helmed by undrafted rookie Max Brosmer in his first career start.
Akers could also be in line for a meaningful workload on Sunday against his former team with lead back Kenneth Walker dealing with a mild glute injury. Backup George Holani was also ruled out with a hamstring injury.
Cam Akers Could Stabilize Seahawks Offense as Vikings DC Brian Flores Takes Aim at Sam Darnold
While Sam Darnold carried his career revelation to Seattle, the Seahawks have struggled to run the effectively this season.
The passing offense ranks No. 1 in net yards per attempt while the running game ranks 26th in efficiency. Darnold has led the unit to be the No. 2 scoring offense in the league.
But, the Vikings have the book on Darnold and are not afraid to use it to their advantage.
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores shared warm thoughts on Darnold with the The Minnesota Star Tribune’s Andrew Kramer, noting that Darnold has “grown tremendously when he was here.”
However, pleasantries will be set aside on Sunday.
“He did a lot of great things when he was here, and clearly those things are continuing to show up for him out there in Seattle. We had a great rapport, friendship. I’m happy for him, but we’ll blitz him this week,” Flores added.
Consistency in the running game will help take the heat off Darnold, and Akers could play a considerable role as a runner and in pass protection.
Vikings, Brian Flores’ Blitzes May Backfire Against Seahawks, Sam Darnold
GettySam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks have been told what to expect from Minnesota Vikings DC Brian Flores in Week 13.
According to Pro Football Focus, Darnold had the sixth-highest pressure-to-sack rate (22.6%) among qualifying quarterbacks when blitzed last year. He also posted the second-highest passer (121.8) rating when blitzed as a true boom or bust under pressure.
This season, Darnold has the lowest pressure-to-sack rate in the NFL at just 6.7%. He is making good decisions under pressure behind an offensive line that has protected him well. Darnold has been sacked just 11 times through 11 games, his lowest sack rate (3.6%) of his career, this season compared to 57 sacks in his 18 games with the Vikings.
However, Darnold’s past ghosts came back to haunt him two weeks ago against the Los Angeles Rams, who sacked him nine times in the NFC wild-card round a year ago. Despite taking no sacks, Darnold was pressured on a season-high 14 dropbacks and threw four interceptions in a 21-19 loss to the Rams in Week 11.
Flores will be playing with fire by deploying a blitz-heavy attack at Darnold, but after seeing up close to what rattles Darnold, it may be the Vikings’ only option to halting the Seahawks offense.
“There’s some things that we could say may have bothered him a year ago, but maybe they don’t this year,” Flores said. “Based on having seen it several times, getting more reps at it, getting more familiarity with a front or a coverage. So, a year later it’s hard to know. But you try it out and see if that still bothers him. … If it doesn’t bother him, you move on to something else. If it does, you keep running it.”
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