If you watched the Vikings beat the Packers on Sunday Night Football, two things stuck out: QB Sam Bradford looked surprisingly good and Minnesota's pass rush is nasty.
The Vikings sacked Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers five times with five different players and often disrupted him with just four or five rushers. Rodgers threw one interception, had three fumbles and was sacked five times while being hit on at least eight other occasions.
On the other side of the ball, Green Bay committed to stopping the run by putting eight men in the box throughout the night. The Vikings rushed for just 30 yards, with star RB Adrian Peterson gaining 19 of those before exiting in the third quarter with a knee injury.
The Packers sacked Bradford four times, but when he had time to throw, Stefon Diggs was often on the receiving end of a completion. The 2015 fifth-round pick broke out on national TV with nine receptions for 182 yards and a touchdown.
Even before losing QB Teddy Bridgewater to a torn ACL late last month, the Vikings were planning to remain run-first. But through Week Two, they're the worst rushing team in the league, averaging 47.5 yards per game. Now they'll likely come to Carolina without Peterson, who suffered a torn meniscus. That would leave Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon as the primary ball carriers.
McKinnon is a serviceable backup that can get the job done if he gets enough touches. In his four games with more than 15 attempts, McKinnon's gone over the 100-yard mark twice while hitting 50 yards all four times.
With Bridgewater out for the year, the Vikings sent the Eagles a pair of draft picks — including a first-rounder in 2017 — in exchange for Bradford. The former first overall pick of the Rams is now playing for his sixth offensive coordinator, Norv Turner, in seven seasons.
But just two weeks after the trade, Bradford was able to take advantage of the Packers' thin secondary. Much of that had to do with his immediate connection with Diggs, who leads the league with 285 receiving yards.
For what it's worth, Bradford can't have happy memories at Bank of America Stadium. He's lost both trips to Charlotte, totaling one touchdown and two interceptions with a 61 percent completion rate. In 2013, he tore his ACL during his last game as a Ram. And last year, the Panthers sacked him five times on Sunday Night Football.
The Vikings run a 4-3 defense, and when they go to their nickel package, they’ll bring on former Panther Captain Munnerlyn.
Minnesota's strength is a front seven that includes two former UCLA linebackers, Eric Kendricks and Anthony Barr. They can interchangeably rush the QB, play the run and drop into coverage. Last season, Kendricks and Barr combined for 160 tackles, 7.5 sacks, two interceptions and four forced fumbles.
Minnesota’s secondary is also talented with veteran cornerback Terence Newman and 2016 Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith. And now Munnerlyn is lobbying for a spot in the Pro Bowl.
Besides Peterson, there's concern about LT Matt Kalil. Ryan's younger brother played the entire game against the Packers despite missing practices last week with a hip injury.
CB Xavier Rhodes missed Sunday with a knee injury, which made 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes a target for Rodgers. But Waynes got the last laugh with a game-clinching interception.
DT Sharrif Floyd also sat out, but backups Shamar Stephen and Tom Johnson recorded a fumble recovery and sack, respectively.
FB Zach Line
During their Week One win, the Broncos used rookie FB Andy Janovich on 47 percent of their offensive snaps.
The Vikings are one of a few clubs that still use a blocking fullback and opposing coaches are looking for any way to disrupt Panthers LBs Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis.
Mike Zimmer's rise is similar to Ron Rivera's. Passed over for several head coaching jobs, Zimmer turned a team that won five games before he took over into a division champion.
Prior getting the gig in Minnesota, Zimmer was the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009 as the Bengals defensive coordinator. He began his NFL coaching career as a defensive backs assistant in 2004.
The last meeting between the Panthers and Vikings was both memorable and forgettable.
With a game-time temperature of 12 degrees and windchill factor of minus-15, the Panthers were blown out 31-13 at Minnesota's temporary home, TCF Bank Stadium.
The Panthers held the ball for 10 more minutes and outgained the Vikings by 138 total yards, but Minnesota became the first team since 1990 to return two blocked punts for scores in the same game.
Still, that game serves as an important marker. It was the Panthers' last regular-season loss before they went on a franchise-best 18-game win streak.