Vikings Turn Focus To Carolina

Vikings Turn Focus To Carolina

From Bob Lurtzema's Vikings Update & Scout.com
Date: Oct 25, 2005

The Vikings were talking about traveling to Carolina before they even left the Metrodome Sunday after an exciting come-from-behind win.

The Vikings have proven they can win at home this season, going 2-1 at the Metrodome. On Sunday, they will get a fourth opportunity to prove they can be anything other than inept on the road.

This test won’t be easy. The Vikings (2-4), outscored by a combined 95-21 this season in losing at Cincinnati, Atlanta and Chicago, will face a well-rested Carolina team at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers are 4-2.

For the second consecutive week, the Vikings will play an opponent coming off a bye. That, however, didn’t prove to be a big problem last Sunday as the Vikings rallied from a 17-0 halftime deficit to beat Green Bay 23-20.

The victory gave the Vikings a 1-1 record against NFC North opponents, with another divisional matchup coming up a week from Sunday when they host Detroit.

If Minnesota’s offense can continue to function as it did in the second half against the Packers, coach Mike Tice’s team could find itself in the thick of the NFC North race despite a 1-4 start.

Quarterback Daunte Culpepper broke out of a nearly season-long slump Sunday, completing 23 of 31 passes for 280 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It marked only the second time Culpepper has not been picked off in a game this season.

The Vikings generated 294 of their 363 yards in the second half, including all but 31 of their 255 passing yards. Mistakes that had been a season-long problem also were cut out in the final two quarters against Green Bay.

Now, the Vikings must prove they can have that type of production away from the Metrodome.

“We need to carry this energy and this preparation through (the) week so we can go down to Carolina and play better on the road than we’ve shown so far this year,� Tice said.

Said Culpepper: “(The Green Bay) win really means nothing if we go down to Carolina and don’t do what we’ve got to do and get a victory there. So we’ve got to just keep building on this. It was a huge win, but we’ve got to get over it and get ready for Carolina.�

If we could beat Carolina that would be so huge. Then we would come back and beat Detroit in the dome. Then we would go against the Giants with a 3 game winning streak!

"coreychavous21" wrote:

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If we could beat Carolina that would be so huge. Then we would come back and beat Detroit in the dome. Then we would go against the Giants with a 3 game winning streak!

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that sounds soooooooooooooooooooooooo good to me cc21!!!

all i know its going to be a hard game to go down to carolina and beat a great team, this will be a big test for the O-line, and culpeper handling the pressure that they will bring him, becuz its a fact they will pressure him hardcore and try to shake him. I'd like to see Korean Robinson in and running some nice slants for a quick open for CPEP, Hopefully the line opens some holes up early so we dont need to depend on the pass the whole game like we had to in early games this year. This will be one of the biggest test for the O-line and if they come thru Pep will have a lot more cofindence in throwing the ball without worry for a truck to blindside him.

GO VIKES, Biggest test of the year, i believe to win back to back.

And i mean truck as PEPERS THE BEAST. and hopefully Brain M can handle him like he has handle any end this year

If we can beat Carolina on the road & on real grass, it would be a great victory & set the tone for the rest of the season!

This game will say a lot about the will to win for this team.

This is an absolutely huge game. If the Vikings want to win this game though, as bubba said the running game must get going early. Mewelde hopefully can give us a show now that he has found the endzone! I think the Vikings can win this game if the offense plays up to par. Just as importantly though, the defense has to slow down Stephen Davis and must contain Steve Smith. If they can do their part I think the offense can muster just enough to slip by and get their first road win of the season. Here's hoping they prove me right!

All I can say is that we better block Peppers or it will be a long day for Daunte and the boys.

Peppers is playing with a broken hand so that may cut down his pass rush ability. The Panthers have been pretty inconsistent this year so we can beat them if the lousy Packers can manage to contain Steve Smith I hope we can as well.