The Minnesota Vikings finally found their first win of the 2023 season with a 21-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Who stood out for Minnesota on the road?
The Minnesota Vikings dug deep and pulled out their first win of the season in an ugly but eventful matchup with the Carolina Panthers. Minnesota's offense struggled for most of the game, but the defense came up with several timely plays to help seal the win when they absolutely needed one.
Carolina was in charge for most of the game until a late turnover shifted momentum in the Vikings' favor, and they never looked back. The Vikings ran the ball well, utilized Justin Jefferson when they needed big plays and relied on the veterans on defense to put away a bad Panthers team.
For Carolina, Bryce Young showed his flashes, and Adam Thielen had a pretty good revenge game against his former team, but the Panthers are just not where they want to be yet, and this season is much more of a building year for their young core.
If I had to summarize the game with one little tidbit, it would be simple: the Vikings made the most of their biggest moments. It wasn't pretty, but the Vikings got the job done and can focus on the rest of their season now that the first win is out of the way.
Which Vikings stepped up and helped carry them to victory on Sunday?