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Football fans will get a new look at a pair of 2022 playoff teams when the Minnesota Vikings visit the Seattle Seahawks in the first week of the preseason.
The Vikings won 13 games last season and won the NFC North. That didn't stop Minnesota from going one-and-done in the playoffs, however. The Kirk Cousins-led team lost at home to the New York Giants in the Wild Card round of last year's NFL playoffs. A first-round playoff exit last season is something Minnesota has in common with its next opponent.
After trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson ahead of the 2022 season, expectations were low for the Seahawks. But Geno Smith stepped up and threw for a career-high 30 touchdowns and made the Pro Bowl on his way to leading Seattle to nine wins. Seattle's season ended with a Wild Card-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Here's what you need to know before tuning in to Vikings-Seahawks.
TV channel, streaming options
The Vikings-Seahawks game is scheduled to kick off at 10 p.m. ET Thursday.
The game will air on the NFL Network. Streaming options are also available at fuboTV, Hulu and other platforms.
Prominent rookies could make NFL debuts
Fantasy football fans, get ready for the chance to see two of the top rookie wide receivers take an NFL field for the first time.
Former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba went No. 20 overall to the Seahawks in the 2023 NFL Draft—the first wide receiver off the board. Jordan Addison, a former All-American at Pittsburgh who played his final college season at Southern California, was selected three picks later by the Vikings. They will be on opposing sidelines on Thursday.
Smith-Njigba missed most of his final season with the Buckeyes with a hamstring injury. But as a sophomore in 2021, the 6-footer caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. Addison was the Biletnikoff Award recipient as a sophomore. The award goes to the best wide receiver in college football.
Smith-Njigba isn't the only first-rounder making their debut for the Seahawks.
Seattle selected former Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick in this year's draft. The All-American intercepted three passes in his final season with the Fighting Illini.
Betting odds for Vikings vs. Seahawks
Caesars Sportsbook lists Seattle as a 2.5-point favorite as of Monday morning. The over/under for the game is listed at 35 points.
About the writer
Robert Read is a Life & Trends Reporter at Newsweek based in Florida. His background is primarily in sports journalism ... Read more