NFL Week 12: 5 takeaways from the Minnesota Vikings' win against the Carolina Panthers
The Minnesota Vikings move one step closer to NFC Wild Card in the NFL playoffs
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a tough home loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11 of the 2020 NFL season. Heading into their game against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota hoped to bounce back with a win, Meanwhile, Panthers were looking to beat their second NFC North team in two weeks. The Panthers shut out the Lions 20-0 in NFL Week 11.
The Vikings and the Panthers both have 5 takeaways from their meeting on Sunday.
5) Justin Jefferson continues his great rookie season in the NFL
The Vikings' Rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson has been on a terror since he entered the NFL. He has become Kirk Cousins' number one target for Minnesota's offense. On Sunday, Jefferson added another successful game to his impressive rookie campaign.
Jefferson hauled in seven catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns against the Panthers. This performance marks his second time this season with more than one touchdown in a game. As of this writing, the rookie wide receiver has caught 52 passes for 918 yards and 6 touchdowns this season. He has made a strong case for his candidacy in the race for the NFL NFC Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.
4) Robby Anderson gives Teddy Bridgewater a boost
The last time that Panthers' wide receiver Robby Anderson reached the end zone was Week 1 of the 2020 NFL season. Sunday against the Vikings, he gave Panthers' quarterback Teddy Bridgewater a big boost, as Anderson caught four passes for 94 yards.
The most notable stat that Anderson recorded was the 41-yard touchdown pass he caught. Here, Anderson ended his dry spell, as he finally scored again. At the beginning of this NFL season, the Panthers had high hopes for the wide receiver but he has only recorded two touchdowns all season.
3) Chad Beebe went from zero to hero in two minutes
The Vikings defense held the Panthers offense to a punt at the 2:18 minute mark in the fourth quarter. Then, wide receiver Chad Beebe muffed the punt, and the Panthers recovered the ball. The game was all but over, and the Vikings defense held strong again, as they forced Carolina to kick a field goal.
Kirk Cousins capitalized by leading the Vikings down the football field on a game-winning drive. With the Vikings' fan base holding their breaths, Beebe caught the go-ahead touchdown from Cousins. The Vikings went on to win the game 28-27. With the decisive score, Beebe redeemed himself from the muffed punt.
2) Carolina Panthers need to get Curtis Samuels involved more for the rest of the NFL season
The Panthers are without their top running back Christian McCaffrey, but they have someone who can make almost the same dynamic plays on offense. Curtis Samuels is an electric wide receiver whois not used in a conventional manner. Samuels played multiple positions on offense for the Ohio State Buckeyes, and this versatility has carried into his NFL career.
The Panthers could use Samuels at running back on third down. His ability to make plays in the open field could keep defenses on their toes. The Panthers should look to add certain sets for Samuels for the rest of this NFL season to add another layer to their offense.
1) Kirk Cousins stays on hot streak
The Vikings' quarterback, Kirk Cousins has been criticized since he joined the team. The narrative of his inability to win big games and take the team to the NFL playoffs has defined his time in Minnesota. But Cousins silenced some of the critics on Sunday against the Panthers.
Cousins recorded back-to-back weeks where he did not throw an interception. He would threw three touchdowns in two consecutive games. Cousins has only thrown one interception in the last four games, which is a positive development. The game-winning drive was especially significant because Cousins showed that he can lead the team to a meaningful victory.