MINNEAPOLIS — Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks needed more than three quarters to warm up at Minnesota, their quest to avenge last year’s Super Bowl loss nearly frozen before it began.

Then the Vikings, after gritting through a grind-it-out wild-card round playoff game, booted their chance to beat the two-time defending NFC champions. Blair Walsh’s 27-yard field-goal try into the frigid wind hooked left with 22 seconds remaining, handing the Seahawks a 10-9 victory Sunday over the stunned Vikings in below-zero weather that tied for the third-coldest NFL game on record.

“A lot of people would’ve folded up and said, ‘That’s it,’ but we’ve got a team full of fighters,” Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said.

The Seahawks (11-6) didn’t score until Russell Wilson’s short touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin early in the fourth quarter. Then, a fumble by the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson on the next possession set up a field goal by Steven Hauschka.

The Vikings (11-6) started their final drive with 1:42 left at their 39 and, aided by a pass interference penalty on Kam Chancellor, drove deep into Seattle territory. After Minnesota drained the clock, Walsh missed the short field goal after making all three of his earlier attempts.

“That’s called grace,” Chancellor said. “That’s all it is.”

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Seattle will play next weekend at Carolina, which had a first-round bye.

“I think we were fortunate that we got the win,” Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll said. “A lot of those times, guys make those kicks. There’s a high percentage that they make them, but you’ve still got to do it.”

Walsh didn’t hide. Holder Jeff Locke had the laces on the football turned in, not out, but there were no excuses.

“You’re confident, but you never think that you have it or take it for granted,” Walsh said, subdued with glassy eyes in the locker room. “I just didn’t put a swing on it that would be acceptable by anybody’s standards.”

Huddled around sideline heaters and wearing huge capes on the shaded side of the stadium, the Seahawks were subdued for much of the game. With his team trailing 9-0 early in the fourth quarter, Wilson nearly took a huge loss on first down when he fumbled a shotgun snap he wasn’t ready for. But the guy Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer called “Houdini” during the week darted to his right to dodge a sack and found Tyler Lockett wide open for a 35-yard completion to set up Baldwin’s touchdown.

“Just tried to extend the play, find a way,” said Wilson, who was 13 of 26 for 142 yards.

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Chancellor, who ripped the ball away from Peterson to set up the go-ahead field goal, missed a tackle on tight end Kyle Rudolph’s 24-yard reception that let the Vikings advance to the 18 with 1:26 left. Peterson’s next three carries left the Vikings a yard short of a first down. Walsh, whose third field goal was nearly blocked by Sherman, jogged out for the defining moment. And the Seahawks were suddenly celebrating an improbable win, not unlike their rally past Green Bay in the NFC championship game last year.

“It’s a chip shot,” Zimmer said. “He’s got to make it.”

The Seahawks left their last visit to Minnesota with a 38-7 victory on Dec. 6, pure domination on both sides of the ball that left no doubt that they’d be a legitimate contender to reach their third straight Super Bowl even without the ear-splitting advantage of their home field.

For all their skills, experience and swagger, though, the combination of these conditions and a well-prepared, embarrassed-by-the-previous-performance Vikings team proved to be quite the challenge.

This was a fittingly frigid finish for Minnesota’s two-year stint outdoors at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium during construction of a covered downtown stadium. For the first outdoors postseason game in Minnesota since the 1976 NFC championship game, the grizzled coach of that team, Bud Grant, served as an honorary captain. He strolled out for the coin flip in a Vikings cap and a purple short-sleeved polo shirt, looking ready for a round of golf.

The 88-year-old Grant got a roar of approval from the crowd, most of which was dressed in as many layers as those purple replica jerseys would allow. The announcement of the minus-25 degree wind-chill factor a few minutes later drew an equally loud cheer.

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Every mistake and break was magnified, and the Vikings benefited for the majority of the first three quarters.

Punter Jon Ryan had to pick up a low snap on Seattle’s first possession and, avoiding a potential block, tried to run up the middle before being upended by Jason Trusnik well shy of the first down. Ryan landed on his face, breaking and bloodying his nose, and the Vikings turned the shortened field into their first field goal.

Wilson, who led the NFL in passer rating after racking up 24 touchdown passes with only one interception over the last seven games, was essentially reduced to a scrambler.

Facing the wind in the second quarter, he had Baldwin wide open behind the safeties at the goal line, but the ball hung in the air and was easily batted down. Headed the same direction in the third quarter, Wilson overthrew Chase Coffman, and Trae Waynes intercepted the deflected pass to set the Vikings up for another field goal.


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