6.) Special Teams Breakdown

If you’re going to have a bad game, you might as well have reasons to blame the offense, defense and special teams.

In their last meeting with the Vikings, the Panthers became the first team in 24 years to allow two blocked punt touchdowns. At least their gaffe was more traditional Sunday.

With Andy Lee punting from the Panthers’ end zone, Sherels fielded the kick at his 46. It appeared Daryl Worley and Colin Jones had a good chance to make the tackle, but Sherels split them en route to a 54-yard touchdown.

“There were a couple of guys who had chances to make a couple of plays early on in the coverage, and we got sealed up in through the middle, and he got outside to our defensive right,” Rivera explained. “Once a guy gets into your second wave of guys, you are in trouble. That’s exactly what happened.”