NFL 2016 Game of the Week Preview, Week 3: Panthers vs Vikings

(photo credit: nfl.com)

Two weeks before the season opener, it looked like the Vikings season was over. Their starting Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater suffered a gruesome knee injury which will keep him off the field for at least a year about a week before opening day. No one could have expected Minnesota to head into Week 3 undefeated. The Vikings defense deserves a lot of the credit for this, they currently rank fifth in yards allowed, fourth in points allowed and second in takeaways. Players like Safety Andrew Sendejo and Linebacker Eric Kendricks have been giving uarterbacks and coordinators headaches throughout the young season.

On the other side of the ball Minnesota has been able to sustain production despite a limited contribution from the now sidelined Adrian Peterson. Both Shaun Hill and Matthew Stafford have been steady hands on the offensive controls during their respective starts. And they both have been able to move the ball thanks to the emergence of University of Maryland product Stephon Diggs as a superstar at the receiver position.

As they head to the Tar Heel State to take on the defending NFC Champions the enter the game 6 and a half point underdogs. That is a fair betting line; despite the fact that Minnesota has a better record the Panthers have played a harder schedule and have looked like last years squad. Cam Newton seems to be invigorated by the return of his #1 receiver Kelvin Benjamin and Fozie Whitiker is set to fill in for Jonathan Stewart at running back.

The key matchup in this game will be how Carolina's secondary matches up against Diggs. The 49ers scoring 27 points with Blaine Gabbert under center raised some eyebrows as Ron Rivera has a pair of rookies manning the edges of his defense. At the end of the say this should be a competitive game which should go to the home team late in the final frame.

Score Prediction: Carolina Panthers 20 – Minnesota Vikings 17