Dallas Turner Is Emerging as a Defensive Force - Even If the Vikings Aren’t Capitalizing
It’s not often you see a game swing on a single play, especially in a lopsided 26-0 loss. But late in the second quarter against Seattle, Dallas Turner gave the Minnesota Vikings exactly that kind of opportunity - a strip-sack that could’ve been a turning point.
It was Turner’s second strip-sack in as many weeks, and this time, Minnesota actually recovered the ball. The door was open.
Momentum was shifting. And then, just as quickly, it slammed shut.
On fourth-and-one from Seattle’s four-yard line, rookie quarterback Max Brosmer rolled out and forced a throw. It ended up in the hands of Seattle linebacker Earnest Jones IV, who took it 84 yards to the house.
What could’ve been a touchdown or, at the very least, a field goal for Minnesota turned into a 14-point swing. That was the dagger.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell owned the decision afterward, saying, “Got to call a better play there.” He pointed out that the defense had been playing well and the field position would’ve been favorable even if they didn’t convert. But in hindsight, asking an undrafted rookie QB to make a high-leverage play at the goal line - especially after the offense had struggled all day - proved costly.
Brosmer himself admitted he could’ve just taken the sack. Instead, he drifted too far back, negating the field-position advantage and putting the defense in a tough spot.
“We didn’t capitalize where we should have,” he said. “It’s tough to go and try to win games, and we can’t keep the ball in our hands.”
And yet, through all the offensive struggles, Minnesota’s defense kept them in it. The Seahawks managed just 219 total yards - their fewest in a win since 2017 - and didn’t score an offensive touchdown until midway through the fourth quarter.
The Vikings’ defense held the line, keeping the game within two scores until the second half. They bottled up Sam Darnold and limited Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the league’s leading receiver, to just 23 yards on two catches.
“That’s a big emphasis: Premium players don’t get the ball,” said safety Josh Metellus. “That’s what we pride ourselves on, especially in the defensive back room.”
But it wasn’t just coverage - it was pressure. Minnesota brought the heat all game long.
According to Next Gen Stats, the Vikings blitzed on about 64% of snaps and generated pressure on 38% of them. That wasn’t by accident.
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores saw what pressure had done to Darnold in the past - both last season and again this year in a four-interception outing against the Rams - and he dialed it up.
“We will blitz him this week, for sure,” Flores had said with a grin in the lead-up. And blitz they did.
That kind of aggressive scheme is music to the ears of pass rushers like Dallas Turner, who continues to find his stride late in the season. Turner now has sacks in three straight games and is starting to look like the disruptive edge presence Minnesota hoped he’d become when they drafted him 17th overall out of Alabama.
“It was just playing fast,” Turner said after the game. “The more familiar we get with the defense, the deeper we get into the season, the faster we gel together, the faster we play.”
Turner’s raw sack numbers - 5.5 on the year - don’t jump off the page, but dig a little deeper and the impact is clear. He’s racked up 20 solo tackles (top 20 in the league), 18 quarterback hurries, and 27 total pressures. He’s living in the backfield, and his recent stretch has been especially impressive: four of those 5.5 sacks have come in the last four games.
Sunday’s performance was arguably his best yet. Two strip-sacks, one recovered by Minnesota. He was a constant problem for Seattle’s offensive line and a key reason why the Seahawks couldn’t get anything going until late.
“KO emphasized it was going to be a lot of turnover opportunities with Sam at quarterback,” Turner said. “Just took advantage of it.”
While the Vikings’ season has unraveled, Turner’s development is a silver lining. He flashed earlier this year - in the blowout win over Cincinnati, then again in London against the Browns, and in Detroit versus the Lions - but now he’s stacking those performances. He’s not just flashing anymore; he’s producing.
As the season winds down, much of the focus will inevitably shift to J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota’s other first-round pick from two years ago.
But Turner deserves his own spotlight. The Vikings haven’t hit on many draft picks in recent years, but if Turner continues on this trajectory, they may have found a cornerstone at one of the game’s most valuable positions.
He’s already making game-changing plays. Now it’s just a matter of the team finding a way to turn those into wins.