EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Special teams plays have proved pivotal in recent games between the Vikings and the Panthers.
In 2014, Adam Thielen blocked Brad Nortman’s punt, scooped the ball and sprinted 30 yards for a touchdown, setting a team record for longest scoring return of a blocked punt.
The record stood for less than a quarter of game time because Everson Griffen returned a punt that was blocked by former Viking Jasper Brinkley 43 yards for a touchdown. Griffen’s score put the Vikings up 21-3 in an eventual 31-13 victory.