The Minnesota Vikings decided to move on from Sam Darnold last offseason, effectively naming JJ McCarthy their franchise QB before he’d played a single snap in the NFL.
That decision isn’t working out well for them, but the Seattle Seahawks won’t get to tee off on McCarthy like we were hoping this week.
With McCarthy out, the Vikings will be starting rookie Max Brosmer at quarterback. As with any young and inexperienced QB, the key to ruining his day is getting pressure – which is something the Seahawks do as well as any team in the NFC.
One playmaker to watch on this side of the ball is outside linebacker Boye Mafe, who was dangled as trade-bait at the deadline but the Seahawks ultimately decided to keep him – despite a slow first half of the season.
Mafe has been heating up lately, though – and Seth Walder at ESPN is predicting a breakout game for No. 53 today against Minnesota.
“Seahawks edge Boye Mafe will record a sack. He has only one this season, but his 19% pass rush win rate at edge is above average, and Seattle’s run-stopping unit will surely force plenty of third-and-longs.”
Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) walks to the locker room following a victory against the Miami Dolphins at Lumen Field. | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
What comes next for Mafe at the end of this season is anybody’s guess.
While his traditional numbers don’t exactly scream Pro Bowl future, Mafe has the potential to post 10 sacks a year in the right situation. That might make him more valuable to another team that allows their edge rushers to feature more than Mike Macdonald’s total team dynamic does.
The Seahawks can’t let him go lightly, though. Uchenna Nwosu has been somewhat disappointing this year after finally returning to the lineup following two injury-riddled seasons. DeMarcus Lawrence is also on the wrong side of 30, and the only other proven edge rusher on the roster is Derick Hall.
Seattle may have the contingency plan waiting in the wings, though. Undrafted rookies Connor O’Toole and Jared Ivey were two of the highest-ranked UDFAs this year, and they haven’t had a chance to show what they can do defensively, yet.
Either way, Mafe may yet prove to be a solid long-term starter in this league – and if the Seahawks can re-sign him for a hometown discount they have to consider it.
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