We got off to an interesting start in Charlotte, with the Vikings getting a 78-yard kick return from Marcus Sherels to start things off and started at the Carolina 27. However, the Vikings did nothing on three plays, and Ryan Longwell missed a 45-yard field goal attempt to leave the Vikings with no points.
However, the Vikings got to Cam Newton on Carolina's first play, with E.J. Henderson stripping the ball and Jared Allen falling on it to set the Vikings up at the Carolina 16. Percy Harvin took it from there, as he carried the ball two times for 16 yards, the latter being a 10-yard run for his first offensive score of 2011 to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.
The two teams exchanged punts on their next possessions (although the Vikings did mix in a really nice shovel pass to Adrian Peterson for 22 yards on a 3rd-and-16 play that helped to reverse the field position). The Panthers are currently driving, and they're in Minnesota territory after a face mask penalty moved them to the Minnesota 33-yard line. (It looked like Smith had a hold of Cedric Griffin's face mask, but hey. . .no biggie.)
As the first quarter comes to an end, the Panthers have a 1st-and-10 at the Minnesota 21, but the Vikings have a 7-0 lead.