Vikings Snag Their First Victory of the 2023 Season Behind a Strong Defensive Effort
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers met at Bank of America Stadium for a Week 4 matchup of two desperate 0-3 teams.
For the Vikings, it certainly looked like we were in for a re-creation of the first three weeks of the season as Kirk Cousins threw a pair of interceptions in Panthers territory.
The first of these interceptions came on the opening drive of the game as an errant pass to K.J. Osborn near the goal line was picked off by safety Sam Franklin and taken 99 yards the other direction for a TD, putting the Vikings in an early 7-0 hole.
After a three-and-out on their next possession, the rookie QB Bryce Young and the Panthers offense put together a methodical 15-play drive that resulted in a field goal, sticking a 10-0 lead on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter.
Vikings Snag Their First Victory of the 2023 Season
Minnesota finally got on the scoreboard on their ensuing possession, but it wasn’t without a little chaos. Near the goal-line, the Vikings seemed to be attempting a QB sneak, but Cousins fumbled the snap. Luckily, he was able to land on top of it and keep the drive alive long enough to hit Justin Jefferson for a 4-yard TD on the next play.
The Vikings would have another chance to put points on the board before halftime, but again, turnovers struck. On the Panthers’ 21-yard-line, Cousins was hit as he tried to deliver a pass, and the wobbly throw was intercepted by Kamu Grugier-Hill. The Panthers would drive just enough for Eddy Pineiro to hit a 56-yard field goal as the clock hit zero. Minnesota entered the half down 13-7.
Luckily, the second half would be all Vikings, and it got started with a huge defensive play. Through the first two weeks, Minnesota had forced just two turnovers, but Harrison Smith turned the tables on Sunday with a strip sack that was recovered by D.J. Wonnum and returned 51 yards for a touchdown, putting Minnesota on top 14-13.
The Vikings sacked Young five times during the second half of this game, and one key contributor was a player who we hadn’t seen much of to this point in the season: Marcus Davenport. After playing just four total snaps through the first three weeks, Davenport finally got a good chunk of defensive snaps on Sunday and earned himself a sack while providing consistent pressure on Young all afternoon.
Cousins and Jefferson would connect on a 30-yard TD to end the third quarter, offering just enough offense for the Vikings to snag their first win of the season, 21-13. Cousins finished his day completing 12 of his 19 passes for 135 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs while Jefferson caught 6 passes for 85 yards and both touchdowns.
Another recent Vikings acquisition, Cam Akers, also left his mark on this game. In his first game with the team, he totaled 5 carries for 40 yards and aso added a pair of receptions for 11 more yards. Overall, the Vikings rushing attack looked far more consistent than to start the season, and the team finished with 23 carries for 135 yards, averaging nearly 6 yards per carry.
Now, Minnesota heads back home with their toughest test to date waiting in Week 5. On October 8th, the Vikings will play host to the defending Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs, as they continue to try and dig themselves out of their early season hole.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.