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One thing we can say with near certainty: one of the Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers will earn their first victory of the 2023 season on Sunday. (Barring a tie game, which is not a bold prediction we are making here.) At 0-3, teams are fighting nearly insurmountable odds to end up making the postseason. But for these two winless NFC teams, that's way too far a look ahead. Right now, each week carries playoff-like pressure to get the season on track.
For the Panthers, 2023 was always going to have its ups-and-downs. That's what starting a rookie quarterback under a head coach new to the team will do. Unfortunately, Bryce Young has already missed a start due to injury, and the ups have not materialized just yet.
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The Vikings, meanwhile, just cannot seem to get out of their own way. Through three weeks, the team leads the NFL in giveaways (9), and frustrations are mounting to the point where their star wide receiver is downplaying trade talk and white-flag waving.
Bleak stuff all around so far, but one of these fanbases will experience some joy on Sunday. What will that look like? Read on for our bold predictions about how this Vikings-Panthers matchup will play out.
2. Season-low receiving yards for Justin Jefferson
Let's start by stipulating that Jefferson has been incredible so far this season. He's tallied receiving yard totals of 150, 159, and 149. So even an off game would be productive. Playing in a shootout against the Los Angeles Chargers is one way to rack up the yardage. But the Panthers have been pretty stingy on defense so far this season.
Carolina ranks in the top-10 in passing yards allowed in 2023, and has given up only two touchdowns through the air. Just one receiver has broken the 100-yard mark against them so far this season as well.
If CB Jaycee Horn wasn't on IR, this prediction might be even bolder. But still, look for the Panthers to limit the damage Jefferson does against them. Sure, that will open up opportunities for other Minnesota pass catchers, but it won't be another Sunday with video game numbers for #18.
1. Panthers passing attack fails to hit 200 yards against Vikings D
The only thing stopping QB Justin Herbert was the clock last week. The Chargers signal caller exploded for 405 yards, completing an eye-popping 40 of 47 attempts. Heck, even LA wide receivers were completing passes.
But in Weeks 1 and 2, the Vikings D held up relatively well in pass coverage. Both Baker Mayfield for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles failed to record 200 yards passing. (Yes, Philly dominated on the ground, but that's another story.)
Last week, the Panthers started Andy Dalton under center, but Bryce Young is tracking to return to the lineup this Sunday. Vikings fans should be happy about that.
Without commenting on what kind of quarterback Young will end up being over the course of his career, in his first two NFL starts the former Alabama star has struggled. He's thrown for 299 yards combined in two starts, and had a turnover in each game. He's also taken six sacks so far.
Now, Young steps back into the lineup after a week of Dalton running the offense. As a result, expect chemistry to be an issue. Changing quarterbacks this early in this season is not going to do Carolina's receivers any favors. Mix that lack of cohesion with a blitz-heavy Brian Flores defense, and you get the ingredients for an impressive Vikings display on defense, something that happened in Week 1, but less so in Weeks 2 and 3.
