The Vikings have made life difficult for Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold on Sunday and their offense has found some success moving the ball, but they’re only up a couple of points at halftime in Charlotte.
A two-yard pass to Chris Herndon accounted for Minnesota’s only touchdown of the first half and Greg Joseph hit a couple of field goals to stake the Vikings to a 12-10 lead over the Panthers. The Vikings get the ball out of the half, so they’ll have a chance to stretch the lead.
The Panthers opened the game with the ball, but Darnold was picked off by Vikings cornerback Bashaud Breeland on the first play from scrimmage. The Vikings used that to set up a field goal, but fell behind when the Panthers scored a touchdown after recovering a fumble by Justin Jefferson.
There were no other turnovers, but there wasn’t much to smile about offensively for the Panthers. Darnold is 5-of-18 for 60 yards as the Panthers offense continues to look lost without Christian McCaffrey in the lineup.
Their defense has kept them in it, though, and finding a better offensive plan come the second half would offer them a chance to squeeze out a win.