The Panthers continue a brutal final month of the season with a matchup against the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings, a week after losing 31-21 to the New Orleans Saints and perhaps turning them from division champion contender into NFC wild card hopeful. The Vikings bring a Top 3 defense and a Top 5 offense into Charlotte, led by quarterback Case Keenum and cornerback Xavier Rhodes on either side of the ball; before we jump into some analysis, let’s take a look at some numbers heading into Sunday’s game.
Up first, an offensive comparison:
| Panthers | Statistic | Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| 328.7 | Yards/Game | 370.4 |
| 5.1 | Yards/Play | 5.59 |
| 127.8 | Rushing Yards/Game | 122.8 |
| 4.25 | Rushing Yards/Play | 3.91 |
| 200.9 | Passing Yards/Game | 247.6 |
| 6.26 | Passing Yards/Play | 7.35 |
| 2.86% | Interception Rate | 1.24% |
| 7.27% | Sacks/Pass Attempt | 3.47% |
| 20.1 | First Downs/Game | 21.6 |
| 8.2 | Punt Return Average | 10.2 |
| 21.3 | Kickoff Return Average | 25.2 |
| 95.83% | Field Goal Percentage | 85.71% |
| 43.71% | Third Down Percentage | 45.96% |
| 33% | Fourth Down Percentage | 16.67% |
| 54.05% | Red Zone Percentage | 58.14% |
| 68.42% | Goal To Go Percentage | 82.61% |
| 32:58 | Average Time Of Possession | 32:15 |
| 22.4 | Points/Game | 23.8 |
And now, the defense; you’ll notice these numbers have all gone up for the Panthers the past few weeks.
| Panthers | Statistic | Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| 297.6 | Yards/Game | 289.1 |
| 5.21 | Yards/Play | 4.79 |
| 88.6 | Rushing Yards/Game | 77.7 |
| 4.04 | Rushing Yards/Play | 3.46 |
| 209 | Passing Yards/Game | 211.4 |
| 6.45 | Passing Yards/Play | 5.97 |
| 1.29% | Interception Rate | 2.12% |
| 8.74% | Sacks/Pass Attempt | 7.06% |
| 16.4 | First Downs/Game | 17.8 |
| 4.7 | Punt Return Average | 5.8 |
| 21.9 | Kickoff Return Average | 23.9 |
| 35.95% | Third Down Percentage | 27.21% |
| 31.25% | Fourth Down Percentage | 57.14% |
| 62.96% | Red Zone Percentage | 38.71% |
| 73.33% | Goal To Go Percentage | 46.15% |
| 19.8 | Points/Game | 17 |
Some Fun Facts….
- The Panthers defense, after allowing only 264 yards per game the first eight weeks of the season, has allowed 365 in each of the past four contests, including 400 last week to the Saints.
- The NFC South leads the NFL with 28 total wins.
- A win for the Vikings on Sunday will clinch the NFC North.
- Luke Kuechly recovered a fumble in the second quarter of last week’s game against the Saints, his fifth takeaway of the season, which is tied for second-most in the NFL.
- According to the New York Times Playoff Simulator, if the Panthers win on Sunday, they have a 79% chance of making the playoffs; lose, and that number drops to 53%. A loss to both the Vikings and the Packers drops their chances to 36%.
Cam Newton first eight games of season: 10 TDs, 11 INTs, 252 rushing yards.
Cam Newton last four games: 6 TDs, 0 INTs, 260 rushing yards. pic.twitter.com/A8odjYnEQ3
— The Riot Report (@RRiotReport) December 5, 2017
- The Vikings own the top third down percentage on both offense (46%) and defense (27.2%).
- Since starting the season 2-2, the Vikings have won eight straight games, with all wins coming after Case Keenum took over for Sam Bradford at quarterback.
- Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph has 50 receptions this season and zero drops.
