The Carolina Panthers have had trouble finishing all season. However, they have usually played well in the first half. Today they came out relatively flat against the Minnesota Vikings, though. Carolina trails Minnesota 10-7 after two quarters.
Here’s how things are going so far.
Offense
Minnesota’s defense came into this game as one of the worst teams in the NFL defending the pass. Whether it’s Teddy Bridgewater being off his game or the Vikings being determined to turn that around, the Panthers have struggled to throw the ball something awful. Rookie cornerbacks Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler have played tight coverage against Carolina’s receivers and Bridgewater has made some bad throws, including an ugly pick to Eric Kendricks and missing a wide open D.J. Moore for a touchdown. Teddy is currently 7/15 for 96 yards, one touchdown and a 62.1 passer rating. The one score was practically all YAC for Robby Anderson.
On the bright side, the Panthers have had some success running the ball. Mike Davis, Trenton Cannon and Rodney Smith all have 10+ yards runs and gained a lot after contact. As a team, they’re averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
Defense
The first series for this defense was atrocious, ending with a touchdown for Justin Jefferson, who put the moves on Rasul Douglas. Since then the unit has tightened up, though. They have contained Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook to just 35 yards on 11 carries. Quarterback Kirk Cousins has also been relatively quiet, averaging just 4.7 yards per pass attempt. Tre Boston, Corn Elder and Jeremy Chinn have stood out the most, combining for 16 tackles between them.
Special teams
Penalties have been an issue for this young team all year. They added two more on special teams in the first half that affected their field position negatively.
The Vikings receive to begin the third quarter.
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