Vikings CB Trae Waynes intercepts Cam Newton before halftime

Cam Newton looked like he could do no wrong for the Carolina Panthers against the Minnesota Vikings until cornerback Trae Waynes intercepted a pass.

For a while, it looked like the Carolina Panthers were going to have a franchise game against the Minnesota Vikings. Unable to stop anything through the air, Cam Newton was putting on a clinic, connecting on short and deep passes all over the field.

Before the half of the week 3 game, the Panthers were running out of the and decided to try a deep pass to at least get a field goal before the clock expired. For this, Cam Newton took a deep shot, but didn’t count on a young cornerback making a play on the ball.

Check out the play here, as shared by the NFL on Twitter:

Typically, when Cam Newton bombs a pass up to Ted Ginn Jr., good things will happen for them. Newton’s strong arm and Ginn’s speed make for a dangerous combination, especially against a team that has struggled against the deep pass during this game and during the season as well.

This time, young cornerback Trae Waynes was ready. There was enough space between him and Ginn to bait Newton in the throw, but then Waynes closed in quickly because the pass was underthrown.

Jumping, Waynes intercepted the pass and brought it down in bounds before being tackled by Ginn.

Next: Full game-by-game 2016 Vikings season preview

Had this play gone the other way, The Vikings could have been going into halftime down by 7 points if the Panthers converted with a touchdown. However, Waynes’ head up play helped to keep the Minnesota Vikings within striking range heading into the second half.