Minnesota Vikings Best and Worst: Week 12 vs. Carolina Panthers

More Good Stuff

This was such an up-and-down game for the Minnesota Vikings that it is hard to get a good feel for the positives and negatives. Of course, things were alright with the team leading at halftime and the final score is a positive, but the majority of the second half was extremely painful.

Still, there were some other great moments from this Vikings team during this game against the Panthers that should have put a smile on the face of fans. Here are a handful of those things.

Other good things from Week 12

• Red zone defense. The Carolina Panthers had three opportunities in the red zone but ended up going 0-3 in those opportunities to score a touchdown. One of those denials was an interception by Eric Kendricks that helped to keep the game within reach. Meanwhile, the Vikings scored touchdowns on three of their four trips to the red zone.
• Finding the rookie. With Adam Thielen sidelined, it was clear that Kirk Cousins liked throwing the ball toward Justin Jefferson. The rookie was targeted 13 times during the game and hauled in seven of those, including two that resulted in touchdowns for the Vikings.
• The linebacker had a day. Eric Kendricks should be First-Team All-Pro this year. This game saw him not only get that red zone interception but 12 total tackles (six solo) with two of those being for a loss. He is a major asset to this team.
• Young defensive ends stepping up. The emergence of D.J. Wonnum and position change for Jalyn Holmes has been paying off for Minnesota and allowed them to rotate pass rushers or use these talented players situationally. Watching those players grow has been quite a pleasure.
• Welcome back. Bisi Johnson led the Vikings in receiving yards this week, catching seven passes on seven targets for 74 yards. Before this game, Bisi only had six catches on the entire season, making this game a nice reminder that he can make plays when asked to do so.