CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Of all the crucibles in which the Minnesota Vikings could have tested the viability of their offense with no Adrian Peterson and a new left tackle, they couldn't have found one much tougher than Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. The Carolina Panthers' front four battered Sam Bradford in the first half and ushered the Vikings' offense from the field so quickly that an exhausted defense departed the 90-degree weather at halftime begging for a break.
"We were sucking wind pretty good," head coach Mike Zimmer said of a first half in which the Vikings' defense was on the field for more than 20 minutes.