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MINNEAPOLIS – When Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield flattened Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme at the end of the first half of the Vikings’ 20-10 victory Sunday, a load of starch was also smacked out of the Panthers’ offense.
Until Winfield’s play – a sack-fumble recovery-touchdown with 1 minute, 4 seconds left in the half that helped the Vikings tie the game 10-10 – the Panthers’ offense had been relatively efficient.
But in the second half, with momentum solidly with the Vikings and a roaring crowd backing the home team up, the Panthers’ offense came undone. After rolling up 131 yards in total offense in the first half, the Panthers managed just 73 in the second half.
“In the first half, we had a long drive and scored and they had their hands on their hips, looking tired,” said Panthers offensive tackle Jordan Gross. “We were getting what we wanted. But in the second half, we never got going. We kept having second and long, third and long and they were getting to Jake.”
Penalties – a problem in the first half of a victory last week against the Chicago Bears – returned. And Delhomme, sacked five times, turned into a punching bag for the Vikings’ defensive line.
“That’s a good defense,” said Panthers tight end Jeff King. “They’re kind of built to defend the pass and their front four is really good. We knew that coming in. We had to run on them to keep them honest, but we got behind and we had to pass more than we’d like. That really hurt us.”
Three players on the Vikings’ defensive front – Kevin Williams, Pat Williams and Jared Allen – have played in the Pro Bowl. Kevin Williams (two) and Jared Allen sacked Delhomme on Sunday.
Getting to Delhomme so often might have rattled him, Allen said.
“There were a couple of times I think (Delhomme) was complaining to the refs,” said Allen, whose 15.5 sacks led the NFL last season with the Kansas City Chiefs. “But anytime you can get a hit on a guy… Jake can win a game for those guys. He is really passionate about what he does and you can use that against him sometimes. We figured we could hit him, get him frustrated and then we could put him on his back.”
The Vikings took a 17-10 lead with 12:53 left in the third quarter on a 34-yard pass from Gus Frerotte to Visanthe Shiancoe. That was just what Minnesota’s pass rushers were waiting for.
“Any time you are able to stake yourself to a lead and turn our pass rushers loose, it’s a good thing,” said coach Brad Childress.
Knowing the Vikings were coming put the Panthers’ pass blockers back on their heels. Four false-start penalties were called against Carolina in the second half – on King, Dante Rosario, Jeff Otah and Jordan Gross.
“We’ve got to stop shooting ourselves in the foot with those stupid 5-yard penalties,” Gross said.
David Scott: 704-358-5889
