Week 14 game grades: Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings offensive grade: D+
The Vikings’ success this season has hinged on the improved O-line play. With rookie C Pat Elflein sidelined with a shoulder injury, the coaching staff shuffled the offensive line around.
Joe Berger, who has a background at center but has spent this season at guard, took over for Elflein while utility-offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles took over Berger’s slot.
The effects showed up immediately in the run game. RB Latavius Murray ran for 14 yards on nine carries. There were far too many negative rush plays, and the final stat line of 100 total rushing yards doesn’t tell the full story on how ineffective the Vikings rushing attack was against Carolina.
There was little balance to the Vikings offensive attack on Sunday. QB Case Keenum dropped back to pass 50 times against the Panthers, the most in any game this season. Part of that had to do with the flow of the game, as the Vikings were playing from behind from the get-go.
With the lead, the Panthers were constantly blitzing. The line held up admirably against Carolina’s formidable front seven until tackle Riley Reiff, who has been playing at an All-Pro level this season, went down in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
When all was said and done, the Panthers accumulated six sacks, and completely threw the Vikings passing game off its axis.
The three turnovers for the Vikings came at the hands of QB Case Keenum: two INTs and one strip-sack fumble. The first interception on the first drive can almost exclusively be attributed to Keenum. He under-threw WR Adam Thielen on what would’ve been a big play downfield.
On a positive note, QB Case Keenum finished with 280 yards through the air, and two TDs, one a cold-blooded, 52-yard TD connection with Adam Thielen to pull within five of the Panthers (three after the 2-pt conversion).
Thielen had another receiving score overturned that would’ve given the Vikings the lead at the end of the first half.
https://twitter.com/SJSamano/status/939942799750729728
Regardless of your thoughts on the play, this was one of the two instances in the red zone where the Vikings settled for a FG attempt, including after starting first and goal following S Andrew Sendejo’s INT. The Vikings had been excelling in the red zone on their win streak. Against a top-5 defense in Carolina, however, the difference between three and seven loomed larger and in the end proved to be the difference.
It’s difficult to give a crazy low grade to a team that scored above their average points per game against a top-tier NFL defense.
It’s impossible to give them a passing grade after the catastrophic performance by the O-line, and the untimely turnovers committed by Keenum.