The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte, North Carolina. The last time these two teams met was in 2021 when the Vikings beat the Panthers in overtime 34-28 on a K.J. Osborn deep crosser touchdown in overtime.
Sunday’s game will look a little bit different. Both teams are sitting at 0-3 and on the verge of seeing their seasons metaphorically end before they have really begun. The Panthers are without their first-round pick in 2024 due to trading up for the first overall pick this April to select quarterback Bryce Young and the Vikings are hoping to find that player.
Buy Vikings TicketsThis Sunday, keep your eyes on these four Vikings storylines.
Managing Editor Tyler Forness: Can the Vikings finally protect the ball?
Over the Vikings first three games, they have turned it over nine times with two more forced fumbles being overturned by the officials. In fact, the Vikings have yet to go a single half without turning the football over. Quite simply, they have been abysmal with ball security.
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has been the biggest culprit thus far with three fumbles lost and two interceptions. If the Vikings had held onto the football just one more time in each game, they would likely be 3-0. Doing so against the Panthers could spell disaster on Sunday
Columnist Judd Zulgad: Red zone and third down offense
Kirk Cousins is off to an excellent start statistically and the Vikings are third in the NFL in total offense, but that doesn’t mean everything is well. In the loss to the Chargers, the Vikings were 1-for-4 in the red zone and 4-for-14 on third down. That’s against a defense that is ranked next-to-last in the league and is 28th in scoring defense. The Vikings are tied for 21st at 50 percent when it comes to scoring touchdowns in the red zone and are 12th in third-down percentage (42.1). The latter number is respectable but considering the Vikings’ weapons on offense there needs to be more production, especially in the red area.
Columnist Kevin Fielder: Vikings secondary vs. Panthers wide receivers
The Minnesota Vikings secondary has been tested through three weeks, as they’ve had to play top wide receivers like Keenan Allen (LA Chargers), A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith (Philadelphia) and Mike Evans and Chris Godwin (Tampa Bay). This week, they’ll get a Carolina Panthers wide receivers room that has struggled to create separation and give their quarterback easy throws. While having a big day against this offense won’t solve all the concerns, it could give them some added momentum for the rest of the season.
Columnist Saivion Mixson: Bryce Young vs. the blitz
One would think that against an aggressive defensive play-caller like Brian Flores, the veteran would be more conducive to success. However, in the case of the Carolina Panthers, you would be wrong. Against the blitz, Bryce Young was 6-for-9 for 67 yards and a touchdown. A small sample size but telling of the rookie’s comfortability in the midst of chaos. However, his backup Andy Dalton has the second-worst passer rating against the blitz behind only Daniel Jones. The bright side to Young playing is that Flores can still confuse the young quarterback pre-snap, as he still is actively learning how to play in the NFL. Either way, Flores and this Minnesota defense has a chance for success throughout this game.
