SEATTLE — Not long after the Vikings received the opening kickoff Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field, on the other side of the country, the Washington Commanders scored a thrilling win over the Philadelphia Eagles. That result meant the Vikings controlled their own destiny in their pursuit of the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. Suddenly, if the Vikings were to win every game left on their schedule, they would earn a bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. No more need for tiebreakers A few hours later, the Vikings polished off a 27-24 win over the Seattle Seahawks, to keep that possibility alive and prove once again that they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. In crunch time, quarterback Sam Darnold got the ball back with 4 minutes, 21 seconds left, the Vikings trailing 24-20 and needing to go the length of the field. It’s something he has done for Minnesota a number of times this season. This time was no different. After the officials called a facemask while Darnold was being sacked, he followed it up by uncorking a deep touchdown pass to star receiver Justin Jefferson, which effectively put the Vikings in front for good. Asked about the poise Darnold displayed on that drive, head coach Kevin O’Connell put it best, saying, “He just seems to be at his best in those moments.” On the final scoring play, Darnold realized Jefferson had made an adjustment on the fly. After spotting an opening while running his route, Jefferson took it upon himself to redirect himself toward the end zone, raising his hand up in the air, hoping that Darnold would notice. “He felt the vertical grass and took it,” O’Connell said. “In honor of Randy Moss, he threw the mailbox sign up, and Sam saw him as he climbed up in the pocket.” As the ball left Darnold’s hand, running back Aaron Jones was still engaged in his block. He looked up and the ball was already sailing toward the end zone. He started tracking it as the nose started to turn downward. “I see the safety coming over the top,” Jones said. “I’m like, ‘Oh no. Is it going to squeeze in?’ ” It did. “I felt like I just needed to give him a shot,” Darnold said. “I put it on his back hip and let him do the rest.” After the offense helped the Vikings take the lead, the defense stepped up big. On the penultimate possession, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel came up with a sack that forced a 60-yard field goal attempt that fell short. On the final possession, safety Theo Jackson swooped in for an interception to to put the game on ice. “Just very proud of the guys in the locker room for the way that they handled everything,” Darnold said. “Just another resilient win for us.” It was an impressive start to the game as Darnold completed 7 of 8 passes on the opening possession, finding receiver Jordan Addison for a touchdown that put the Vikings in front 7-0. After a punt by the Vikings on their next drive, the Seahawks responded when quarterback Geno Smith dropped a dime to receiver DK Metcalf in the corner of the end zone to level the score at 7-7. Not long after that, Darnold dropped a dime of his own to Jefferson, pushing the Vikings back in front 14-7. A costly blunder by Smith on the next possession resulted in rookie edge rusher Dallas Turner coming up with the first interception of his career. That set up a 52-yard field goal from rookie kicker Will Reichard that pushed the Vikings’ lead to 17-7. Though it looked as if the Vikings were in position to pull away, the Seahawks responded with an 88-yard drive right before halftime, capped by Smith finding receiver Jaxson Smith-Njigba to cut the deficit to it 17-14. Both teams traded field goals coming out of the locker room at halftime to push the score to 20-17. There was tension the rest of the way, with neither the Vikings nor the Seahawks able to gain the upper hand. That changed in the home stretch as the Seahawks put together a clutch drive when they absolutely had to have it. It featured a number of good throws from Smith before he found tight end AJ Barner in the back of the end zone to put the Seahawks in front 24-20. That set the stage for Darnold to play hero once again as he climbed the pocket and delivered a perfect pass to Jefferson that finalized the score at 27-24. “These close games are what make championship teams. Just staying in it,” Jefferson said. “That was a great team on the opposite side. It was great to come in here and get a win.” As he reflected on the win, O’Connell was asked whether he would address the fact that the Vikings can now earn the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs if they beat the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions over the next couple of weeks. His response was expected yet fitting because it proved how the Vikings have gotten to this point. They have never let themselves think too far down the road. They have simply kept their focus on the next game. “You’re lobbing it right at the rim for me,” O’Connell said with a smile.”We can’t go 2-0 without going 1-0.” Related Articles Minnesota Vikings | Five takeaways from the Vikings’ 27-24 win over the Seahawks Minnesota Vikings | Why did Vikings safety Harrison Smith miss the game against the Seahawks? Minnesota Vikings | The Loop Fantasy Football Update Week 16: Last-minute moves Minnesota Vikings | Giant tug-of-war over Stillwater Lift Bridge to precede Vikings-Packers rivalry game Minnesota Vikings | Charley Walters: Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell is going to strike it rich