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MINNEAPOLIS Of the 114 plays run by the Carolina Panthers and Minnesota Vikings Sunday at the Metrodome, one stood out like a falling star on a clear night.
The Panthers held a seven-point lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half. They faced third-and-8 at their 29.
They could've played it safe and called a running play, hoping to maintain their lead at halftime.
They chose a more aggressive approach, throwing instead of running, but nothing too risky.
It came oh-so-close to working.
Instead, it backfired dramatically.
Minnesota cornerback Antoine Winfield blitzed from Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme's right side and decked him full-force, causing a fumble. Winfield picked up the loose ball at the 19 and ran it in for a touchdown.
Suddenly, the score was tied and the Vikings were on their way to a 20-10 victory.
“I think it changed the whole game,” said Minnesota quarterback Gus Frerotte.
“The disappointing thing,” said Delhomme, “is I was cocking back to throw it to Steve (Smith) and he was wide open on a corner route.”
Delhomme said Vikings defensive backs Cedric Griffin and Charles Gordon had rushed to cover D.J. Hackett, leaving Smith open.
“We were going to have a big play,” said Delhomme.
How big?
“I don't think (Smith) was going to catch it and go out of bounds,” said Delhomme. “I guess you have to use your imagination (about) what he's going to do when he has the ball in his hands. But he had some room there.”
Winfield's undetected blitz wrecked the play and propelled the Vikings to a much-needed win. Despite being picked by some analysts to make the Super Bowl, they started the season with 0-2 and used Winfield's score to fuel their thirsty engine.
“We had a great disguise,” Winfield said of the blitz call, made by defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier. “They didn't expect me to come because we never show that.”
Running back Nick Goings took the blame for missing Winfield. He said he spotted an inside linebacker at the line of scrimmage and went to block him, then released to become a pass receiver when he saw the linebacker withdraw.
It was then that Goings said he first noticed Winfield, but it was too late.
Asked if he had a sick feeling watching Winfield storm toward Delhomme, Goings said: “Definitely.
“That's just a mistake on my part. It gave them some life, gave them some energy.”
The Vikings dominated the rest of the game, scoring a quick touchdown to start the second half, adding a field goal, and shutting down the Panthers' offense with a ferocious pass rush that sacked Delhomme five times.
Carolina also lost a heartbreaker at the Metrodome two years ago when Fox uncharacteristically called for a lateral pass by Chris Gamble on a punt return when the Panthers were leading. That play failed and led directly to the Panthers' 16-13 overtime loss.
After that 2006 game, Fox took responsibility for the call and apologized to his players in the locker room.
Sunday's game-turning play wasn't the same kind of obvious strategical blunder, though the result was the same – a loss.
When asked if he second-guessed the decision to pass instead of run on third-and-8, Fox said:
“We get criticized when we run it and we get criticized when we pass it, so I guess we'll starting punting it maybe. The key is whether it works or not, and obviously that didn't work.”
Delhomme and defensive tackle Damione Lewis said the Panthers had plenty of chances in the second half to pull out the win, but didn't do it.
Lewis lamented the Vikings' opening possession of the second half, when Minnesota used two big pass plays to drive 80 yards in five plays for a touchdown.
Receiver Bernard Berrian ran past rookie safety Charles Godfrey and caught a 48-yard pass to move the ball to the Carolina 29. Three plays later, Frerotte threw a 34-yard TD to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.
“We could have had them three-and-out,” Lewis said. “I missed a sack and they made the long pass play. From there, it was kind of downhill … We gave them seven (points) coming out of the gate (after halftime), and you never want to do that.
“To me, that was a bigger momentum switcher than even giving up the (Winfield) touchdown and the sack.”
Speaking of sacks, Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers had his first of the season, dropping Frerotte for an 8-yard loss midway through the third quarter. It was his first sack since Nov.18 of last season at Green Bay.
“That's nothing, that's nothing,” said Peppers. “It's good for the stat sheet, but in the big scheme of things, we lost the game.”
For the victorious Vikings, the difference between being 1-2 and 0-3 was huge.
The loss doesn't do dramatic damage to the Panthers, who are 2-1 and tied for first place in the NFC South heading into next week's home game against division rival Atlanta (also 2-1).
“I don't think we necessarily have to throw the towel in and say this team is in the tank or anything like that,” said receiver Muhsin Muhammad. “We played a good football team today, played them at (their) home and they were inspired.
“We're going to be a good team, too. We are a good team. We just need to make some corrections and eliminate some mistakes and I think we'll definitely be back on the right track.”
