Two NFC teams that disappointed last season, the Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings, will need to find a couple more impact players if they want to move beyond mediocrity and into serious contention in 2019. While preseason games are often meaningless for established stars, hidden talent could be buried on a roster. Both of these teams had better hope they find it.
The Seahawks would do well to discover some new offensive weapons for Russell Wilson to rely on, as his receivers have historically been underwhelming. Towering wideout Jazz Ferguson had a strong first week of the preseason, capped with an impressive two scores, including an over-the-shoulder catch for a touchdown. If he can repeat his performance, the Seahawks may have found a nice big threat.
On the defensive side of the ball, safety Marquise Blair looks like he will be worth his second-round draft stock. Another performance like his punishing effort in Week 1 should send him soaring up the depth chart.
Vikings insiders have been keeping a close eye on who will emerge as the team’s third receiving option. Adam Thielen and Laquon Treadwell should handle the bulk of the work in Minnesota, but a third option will be vital for quarterback Kirk Cousins when secondaries double-team Thielen. During training camp, Chad Beebe looked like the number three apparent, but in Week 1, it was Olabisi Johnson who impressed fans.
On defense, Vikings fans are paying close attention to cornerback Holton Hill. Hill has been something of an enigma: though he has been buried at the bottom of the Vikings’ depth chart, he was the second-highest graded corner for the team last week.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Minnesota Vikings
- When: Sunday, Aug. 19 at 8pm ET
- Where: U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Streaming: NFL Network (free trials with various streaming services)
How to watch the Seahawks vs. Vikings online
The Seahawks vs. Vikings game continues the NFL Network’s run of nationally televising the preseason, but even if you’ve cut the cable cord or you want to watch it on your mobile device, there are plenty of ways to accomplish that. But first, you’ll need to get acquainted with NFL Network.
What is NFL Network?
If you want to be immersed in pro football, NFL Network is the place to go. There’s plenty to love about NFL Network, including the ability to watch exclusive shows like Good Morning Football, NFL Total Access, A Football Life, Inside the NFL, and most importantly, Sunday’s NFL GameDay once the regular season begins. There’s also daily programming devoted to power rankings and fantasy football that football lovers will geek out over. NFL Network shows most Thursday night games during the regular season, and it’ll exclusively show some of the international games in 2019. Take note, though: NFL Network can no longer be seen via DirecTV Now.
The bottom line: If you want to get closer to the action and catch (almost) every Thursday Night Football game, you need NFL Network.
Seahawks vs. Vikings live stream: How to watch NFL Network
1) Sling TV
- Cost: $25-$40 per month (40% off first month)
- Sling TV devices: Amazon Fire TVs, Android Fire Stick, Apple TV,Android TV, Roku, Xbox One,Google Chromecast, Oculus Go, and iOS and Android devices
- Sling TV local channels: NBC, Fox (check your local availability here)
If you want to watch the Seahawks vs. Vikings online via Sling TV, you’ll need to be subscribed to either Sling Blue ($25 per month) or Sling Orange + Blue ($40 per month). Both of those packages include NFL Network and a number of sports channels—like three ESPN channels, NBCSN, and FS1—and it’s still a nice perk that Sling subscribers can order a la carte packages. Sling TV also offers a special Latino package for bilingual viewers. Sling TV is currently offering a deal where you can subscribe for 40% off the regular price for the first month of your subscription. That means Sling Blue would cost $15, and Sling Orange + Blue would cost $25. (Here’s a complete guide to Sling TV channels and our Sling TV review.)
2) FuboTV
- Cost: $54.99 per month (after a 7-day free trial)
- FuboTV devices: Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Android TV, iOS and Android devices
- FuboTV local channels: Fox, NBC, CBS (check local availability here)
If you’re a big-time sports fan, FuboTV is your best streaming service option. If you love international soccer and you’re a Spanish speaker, FuboTV also offers various add-on packages, including Fubo Latino and Fubo Português. FuboTV’s basic plan showcases nearly 100 channels and includes NFL Network. At $54.99 per month, you’ll also get FS1, FS2, NBCSN, NBA TV, Big Ten Network, Pac 12 Network, BeIn Sports, and CBS Sports Network, along with premium channels like FX/FXX/FXM. The only notable omission for sports fans is ESPN. You can add Fubo’s Sports Plus package for an additional $8.99 per month, which allows you to stream NFL RedZone, (Here’s the complete FuboTV channels list.)
3) PlayStation Vue
- Cost: $44.99-$79.99 per month (after a 5-day free trial)
- PlayStation Vue devices: PlayStation 3 and 4, Roku, Amazon Fire, Google Chromecast, Kodi, iOS and Android devices
- PlayStation Vue local channels: NBC, Fox, ABC, CBS (enter your ZIP code here to check your availability)
If you’d like to watch live NFL games directly from your PS4, PlayStation Vue is your best bet. PlayStation also works with streaming devices like Roku and Amazon Fire products, but what separates PlayStation from the rest of the streaming services is that it’s also compatible with Kodi. No matter how you stream, you’ll get to choose from four tiers of channels—all but the cheapest include NFL Network. From there, you can also add NFL RedZone as part of the $10-per-month Sports Pack, which also unlocks ESPN Bases Loaded, ESPN Classic, Longhorn Network, Outside TV, and NBCUniversal regional sports networks. You can see the full list of PlayStation Vue channels here. Two other great perks: You can stream on up to five devices at once, and there’s also unlimited cloud DVR.
Other ways to watch NFL Network online
1) The NFL app
Cost: Depends on provider
Devices: Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, PS4, Roku, Android RV, iOS and Android devices
If you subscribe to NFL Network through a cable provider—or you know someone who does and they owe you a relatively large favor—you can also watch via the official NFL app. All you have to do is download it from your streaming device of choice—Amazon Fire Stick, Apple TV, PS4, Roku, or Android TV—and then enter in your cable credentials when prompted. You can also stream on any iOS or Android device, or on your desktop. Just visit nfl.com/watch.
The Seahawks vs. Vikings game continues the NFL Network’s run of nationally televising the first week of the preseason, but even if you’ve cut the cable cord or you want to watch it on your mobile device, there are plenty of ways to accomplish that. But first, you’ll need to get acquainted with NFL Network.
Seahawks vs. Vikings: Why it matters
You could look at these teams as being in the middle of the pack, but you could also see these teams as poised for a breakout. When you look at the coaching and talent of these teams’ rosters, there’s no reason that either of them couldn’t make a deep playoff run.
At the same time, these teams have to ask themselves what they have done in the offseason to put themselves above conference powerhouses like the Saints, Rams, and Cowboys. None of these teams seem to have gotten any worse, and so the Seahawks and Vikings have no choice but to get better or watch the playoffs unfold from the comfort of their homes.
Minor improvements on both sides of the ball could change everything for these two teams. Tune in on Sunday to see if the players they need are simply lurking somewhere in the depth chart, poised for an unexpected breakout.
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