7 biggest takeaways from the Vikings stunning win over the Panthers

Minnesota actually has receiving depth

Heading into Sunday’s game against the Panthers, the Vikings already knew they would be without the services of their top receiver, Adam Thielen.

Minnesota was still going to have Justin Jefferson out on the field, but they needed the other wide receivers to step up and help make up for the absence of Thielen. Luckily for the Vikings, this is exactly what happened.

Jefferson put together an impressive performance with seven catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. But fellow Minnesota receivers Bisi Johnson and Chad Beebe also combined to haul in 14 passes for 137 yards and a score.

Beebe was even the guy who ended up catching the go-ahead touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins with 46 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

The performance from the Vikings receivers on Sunday is a great sign for the team’s offense. As Carolina did this weekend, opposing defenses are going to continue to place their focus on stopping Dalvin Cook from running all over them this season. So, Minnesota is going to need their passing attack to make plays whenever the running game can’t get going.

Judging by what the Vikings wide receivers were able to do on Sunday without Thielen in the lineup, the team should feel a lot more confident about throwing the ball during the final five games on their schedule.