20 Things to Know before Panthers-Vikings
Dustin Baker
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Oct 17, 2021
The Minnesota Vikings (2-3) take on the Carolina Panthers (3-2) at 1:00pm EST Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
Here are 20 stats, facts, and things to know leading into the interconference contest.
- The last time the Vikings lost to the Panthers was the game Minnesota’s 2017 win streak ended. Cam Newton and his Panthers ended the Vikings run at eight games in Carolina that afternoon. The loss prevented the Vikings from homefield advantage throughout the 2017 playoffs.
- Minnesota did beat Carolina in 2020, though. That game featured a Christian McCaffrey-less Panthers, too. McCaffrey will miss Week 6 versus the Vikings.
- The Vikings lead the all-time head-to-head series over the Panthers 9-6.
- Minnesota faced Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold one other time, pounding Darnold’s Jets 37-17 in 2018 on the road inside Darnold’s rookie season.
- Since the start of 2015, Minnesota is 16-11-1 (.589) in early afternoon road games, the seventh-best win percentage in the NFL during the timeframe. It’s the late afternoon and primetime slots that get messy for the Vikings. And nobody really knows why.
- Kirk Cousins is the NFL’s fourth-best quarterback through five games per Pro Football Focus.
- Dalvin Cook has missed one-third of all football games since joining the Vikings in 2017.
- Former Vikings Pat Elflein plays for the Panthers but is on injured reserve.
- Kirk Cousins has never won a regular season game on the road versus an NFC South opponent. In those contests, his team is 0-6 during his career.
- Through five weeks, the Vikings rank 6th in overall defensive PFF grade and 8th in defensive DVOA.
- The Vikings have scored one rushing touchdown in 2021.
- To date in 2021, Minnesota throws the football the 13th-most leaguewide.
- Minnesota has not scored an offensive touchdown in 2021 during the second half of a game with the score margin within seven points.
- Per current wins and losses, the Vikings have the NFL’s most difficult remaining schedule.
- Since the start of 2020, Justin Jefferson has the most 20+ yard receptions (30) in the NFL.
- The Panthers defense allows the second-fewest yards per game to opponents in the NFL through five games — and is the very best in the league in defensive 3rd Down percentage.
- For defensive sacks, Carolina’s is currently the second-best team in the NFL.
- Christian Darrisaw, per sources, is slated to make his first NFL start against the Panthers.
- Justin Jefferson has tallied 50+ receiving yards in eight consecutive games.
- Kirk Cousins has thrown a touchdown pass in 19 straight games, the third-longest active streak in the league.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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