Carolina Panthers At Minnesota Vikings: Second Quarter Open Thread

The Vikings lost the coin toss for the fifth consecutive game, the Carolina Panthers deferred and the Minnesota Vikings got the ball first. The Vikings moved the ball downfield pretty nicely, with Matt Cassel completing three of his first four passes for three first downs. However, as the Vikings got closer to the Carolina goal line, Cassel badly overthrew Greg Jennings, and the ball wound up in the hands of Panthers' safety Mike Mitchell for an interception.

Fans at the Metrodome were, apparently, unsure who to chant for at that point.

On the ensuing drive, Cam Newton hit Jamarca Sanford right in the chest with his first throw, but Sanford. . .as he is wont to do. . .dropped it. It appeared the Vikings had a stop on third down, but a hold on Chris Cook nullified a third down sack by Chad Greenway. The Panthers drove down the field, including a conversion on 4th-and-1, but the Panthers went for it on 4th-and-1 again from the 2-yard line, and Cam Newton found Steve Smith on a short pass for the 2-yard touchdown to give the Panthers a 7-0 lead.

The drive for Carolina extended for seventeen plays and took up over nine and a half minutes.

The Vikings, naturally, answered with a three-and-out, and that's where we stand after one quarter of play, with the Panthers in possession of the ball and looking at a first down near midfield.

The Vikings trail the Carolina Panthers after one quarter of play, 7-0. Can they play better in the second quarter? I certainly hope so.