Christian Ponder(notes) of the Minnesota Vikings celebrated his first career NFL win yesterday with an impressive performance against the Carolina Panthers. Ponder was 18 of 28 passing for one touchdown and no interceptions, leading the Vikings to only their second win of the 2011 campaign.

The fact that Minnesota has looked respectable in Ponder’s first two career starts cannot be overlooked. Of course, no true Vikings fan could ever be pleased with a loss to the Packers, but for a rookie quarterback to put his team in a position to win against the reigning Super Bowl Champions, one has to have hope that his development will lead to success for the franchise in the near future. Although Carolina was certainly no football powerhouse, Cam Newton(notes) has been one of the best performing quarterbacks in the NFL this year. Ponder stepped up to the challenge in both games, and fans should take notice.

Donovan McNabb’s(notes) play through the first several games of the season left Minnesota fans looking for something more. The Vikings have the league leader in sacks in Jared Allen(notes), the league’s leading rusher in Adrian Peterson, and one of the league’s worst records at 2-6. Something didn’t quite add up, and Christian Ponder’s insertion into the starting lineup has provided fans a look at the future of the Vikings as well as hope that this year might not be totally lost just yet.

Christian Ponder is still a young kid by NFL standards; he is 23 years old and likely to stick with the Vikings as long as his performance allows. Donovan McNabb, despite being a great NFL quarterback in his prime, has now aged to where he might still be able to find success in the NFL, but only in the right schemes.

One thing is for certain: Rookie quarterbacks will make rookie mistakes. We have seen a few from Ponder, especially in his first game. But the positive thing to take away from the situation is that his second game was better. In a year where the playoffs are pretty unlikely barring a major collapse by Detroit or Green Bay and a monumental run by the Vikings, maybe improvement each week is asking for enough.

Jack Grunpe has been a lifelong Minnesota citizen, and avid fan of the Minnesota Vikings.

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The Minnesota Vikings are a different team with Christian Ponder in the lineup. And that’s a very good thing.

After going 1-5 under veteran Donovan McNabb, the Vikings turned to the rookie quarterback. Ponder made his second straight start on Sunday and his first on the road. After dropping a close 33-27 game to unbeaten Green Bay in his debut, Ponder delivered in Carolina as he helped the Vikings rally past the Panthers 24-21.

Sure the Vikings dodged a bullet when Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard field goal in the final minute that would have sent the game into overtime. But it was Ponder who guided the Vikings on a pair of long drives in the second half to produce a game-tying touchdown and a go-ahead field goal.

With McNabb at the helm the Vikings offense at been stale and basically non-existent in the second half this season. Ponder has jump-started the offense. Against the Panthers he was 18-for-28 and threw for 236 yards, a season-high for the Vikings in 2011.

The Minnesota Vikings battled it out with the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday, October 29, 2011, and came out on top for their second victory of the season, with a final score of 24-21. The win was the first for the Vikings’ rookie quarterback, Christian Ponder(notes).

watching the Vikings win the NFC North.
K.C. Dermody

The Vikings have certainly struggled this season, having been on a downhill slide since their impressive 2009 season when they seemed to be destined to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, their hopes were dashed by the New Orleans Saints in a heartbreaking overtime loss in the Conference Championship, but it was, overall, a great season.

Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson is still one of the best running backs in the NFL, and he didn’t disappoint in Sunday’s game against Carolina. Peterson was unstoppable, running for 162 yards and scoring two touchdowns, despite playing with an ankle injury.

Peterson was able to help his team to victory, as well as assisting their young rookie quarterback, Ponder, get his first win. Ponder completed 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown. The rookie was up against another rookie quarterback with Carolina, Cam Newton(notes).

Newton threw for 290 yards and was leading the Panthers down the field, making a great attempt at setting up a potentially game-winning field goal for his team in the final seconds. Instead, Olinda Mare of the Panthers missed the 31-yard field goal, and ended Newton’s chance for the win.

Another outstanding player for the Vikings, with a huge heart, is defensive end Jared Allen(notes). His efforts against Carolina were another big contribution to the team’s victory. Allen came into the game as the NFL leader in sacks, and he had another impressive performance in week eight for the Vikings. Allen ended with the game with five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

Two of the Vikings touchdowns came in part to Allen’s efforts. Things haven’t changed much for two of Minnesota’s best players, Allen and Peterson, since the time I was there to see them win the NFC North in the game against the New York Giants on December 28, 2008. Definitely one of the best NFL games I’ve ever attended.

I hope Ponder continues to do well, and that Minnesota can continue to improve during the rest of the season, with the exception of game 11. Although my team is the Oakland Raiders, I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the Vikings.

K.C. Dermody grew up in the Bay Area of California, and has been an Oakland Raiders fan from the time she could walk. Living in South Dakota for a period of time she also became interested in an NFC team, the Minnesota Vikings, and is a big fan of their great running back, Adrian Peterson and defensive end, Jared Allen.

More from this contributor:

Oakland Raiders Fan: Terrell Owens Doesn’t Belong on the Silver and Black

Passion Returns to Aaron Curry with Raiders as it Often Has in the Past: Fan’s look

Oakland Raiders Fan: Silver and Black Coming Back Together

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Ponder completed 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown as the Vikings (2-6) ended a two-game losing streak.

Newton threw for 290 yards and led the Panthers back down the field in the final two minutes, completing a 44-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on fourth-and-15. But Olindo Mare missed a 31-yard field goal wide left with 26 seconds left.

Newton threw a season-best three touchdown passes, but had two fumbles on blindside hits that led to a pair of Minnesota touchdowns in the first half.

The Panthers led 21-14 after a 22-yard touchdown catch by Steve Smith with 11:07 left in the third quarter, but Carolina’s offense sputtered most of the second half — going three-and-out on three straight possessions. The Vikings tied the game on a 9-yard touchdown run by Peterson, his ninth of the season.

Minnesota took the lead for good on a 13-play, 72-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took 7:10 off the clock.

Things looked dire for the Panthers, but Newton completed his long pass to LaFell to move the ball into Vikings territory. Newton then had a first down run inside the 10 called back on a holding penalty on Smith. Mare, who had connected on 13 of 15 field goals coming into the game, then shanked the kick wide left and the Vikings ran out the clock.

Smith, who came into the game leading the NFL in yards receiving, had seven catches for 100 yards. Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen also had touchdown catches for Carolina.

Peterson ran for 86 yards and had 76 yards receiving, including a 19-yard scoring catch in the second quarter.

Jared Allen, who entered the game leading the NFL in sacks, had a big game for the Vikings with five tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Both of Minnesota’s first-half touchdowns came after Newton fumbles in which he took blindside hits from Allen and E.J. Henderson. The Vikings scored within a minute of both of those turnovers.

Percy Harvin had four catches for 58 yards and scored on a touchdown run for the Vikings.

The game began with a crazy flurry of plays.

Marcus Sherels returned the opening kickoff and raced 78 yards to the Carolina 27. However, the Vikings went three-and-out and Longwell missed a 45-yard field goal.

It seemed Carolina had seized the early momentum with that defensive stop, but on their first play from scrimmage Henderson sacked Newton and Allen recovered the ball at the Carolina 16. Harvin, lined up in the backfield, scored two plays later on a 10-yard run to give the Vikings a 7-0 lead.

The Panthers evened the score in the second quarter when Shockey hauled in his first touchdown pass of the season, a 1-yarder from Newton, and celebrated by blowing kisses to the crowd. Less than four minutes later, following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Harvin, Newton took advantage of great field position at midfield and connected on a 39-yard touchdown strike down the seam to Olsen to give Carolina a 14-7 lead.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Ryan Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:43 left in the game to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a 24-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Cam Newton put the Panthers (2-6) in position to tie the game in the final two minutes. He completed a 44-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on fourth-and-15, but Olindo Mare was wide left with a 31-yard field goal attempt with 26 seconds left.

Adrian Peterson had 162 yards from scrimmage and scored two touchdowns as the Vikings (2-6) snapped a two-game losing streak.

Christian Ponder won the battle of rookie quarterbacks, completing 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown.

Newton threw a season-best three touchdown passes, but had two costly fumbles on blindside hits that led to a pair of Minnesota touchdowns in the first half. Carolina’s offense sputtered throughout most of the second half, going three-and-out three times.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — With a big assist from Adrian Peterson, Christian Ponder came out on top of his rookie quarterback matchup with Cam Newton.

Peterson ran for 162 yards and two touchdowns and Ryan Longwell kicked a 31-yard field goal with 2:43 left to lift the Minnesota Vikings to a 24-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.

Ponder completed 18 of 28 passes for 236 yards and one touchdown as the Vikings (2-6) ended a two-game losing streak.

Newton led the Panthers (2-6) back in the final two minutes, completing a 44-yard pass to Brandon LaFell on fourth-and-15, but Olindo Mare was wide left on a 31-yard field goal attempt with 26 seconds left.

Newton threw a season-best three touchdown passes, but had two fumbles on blindside hits that led to a pair of Minnesota touchdowns in the first half.

The Panthers led 21-14 after a 22-yard touchdown catch by Steve Smith with 11:07 left in the third quarter, but Carolina’s offense sputtered most of the second half — going three-and-out on three straight possessions. The Vikings tied the game on a 9-yard touchdown run by Peterson, his ninth of the season.

Minnesota took the lead for good on a 13-play, 72-yard drive in the fourth quarter that took 7:10 off the clock.

Things looked dire for the Panthers, but Newton completed his long pass to LaFell to move the ball into Vikings territory. Newton then had a first down run inside the 10 called back on a holding penalty on Smith. Mare, who had connected on 13 of 15 field goals coming into the game, then shanked the kick wide left and the Vikings ran out the clock.

Smith, who came into the game leading the NFL in yards receiving, had seven catches for 100 yards.

Tight ends Jeremy Shockey and Greg Olsen also had touchdown catches for Carolina.

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The Carolina Panthers have taken the lead over the Minnesota Vikings in Charlotte by a score of 14-7.

After forcing the Vikings to punt again, the Panthers needed just five plays to move 49 yards for a score, largely because the touchdown that was scored was a 39-yard connection from Cam Newton to former Chicago Bear Greg Olsen in which Olsen was wide open. It was Newton’s second touchdown pass on the day, and he currently has 119 yards on 7-of-12 passing.

The Vikings still haven’t gotten Adrian Peterson going, as he only has four yards on seven carries. The Vikings are driving, however, as they’re at the Carolina 25-yard line as Christian Ponder has made a couple of very nice plays to keep the drive going.

With a little more than six minutes remaining in the first half at Bank of America Stadium, the Minnesota Vikings trail the Carolina Panthers by a score of 14-7.

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Things have certainly been interesting in Charlotte to start the ball game between the 1-6 Minnesota Vikings and the 2-5 Carolina Panthers.

The Vikings got a 78-yard kickoff return from Marcus Sherels to begin today’s festivities to set the Vikings up at the Carolina 27-yard line. However, a run by Adrian Peterson for no gain, an incomplete pass, and a sack of Christian Ponder left the Vikings to settle for a field goal try from Ryan Longwell. However, Longwell uncharacteristically missed the 45-yard attempt wide to the left, and the Vikings got no points out of what looked to be a promising drive.

On Carolina’s first offensive play, however, the Vikings got to Panthers’ rookie quarterback Cam Newton on a blitz, as E.J. Henderson smashed Newton and caused him to fumble. Jared Allen fell on the loose ball, and the Vikings were in business at the Carolina 16.

Percy Harvin did the work from there, as he lined up in the backfield twice and took two handoffs from Christian Ponder. The first carry went for six yards, and the second one was a 10-yard touchdown run for Harvin’s first offensive score of the season.

The Vikings just forced a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, but the Panthers fell on it to take over at their own 18-yard line.

With 12:26 left in the first quarter in Charlotte, the Minnesota Vikings lead the Carolina Panthers by a score of 7-0.

Nell Redmond – AP

Carolina Panthers’ Cam Newton (1) is hit by Minnesota Vikings’ E.J. Henderson during the first quarter of an NFL football game in Charlotte, N.C., Sunday, Oct. 30, 2011. Newton fumbled the ball on the play and the Vikings recovered.

CHARLOTTE — The Minnesota Vikings survived a late missed field goal by Carolina’s Olindo Mare and beat the Panthers 24-21 at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday.

Mare missed the 31-yard attempt wide the the left with 29 seconds remaining after the Panthers (2-6) had driven from their 24 to the Vikings 13.

Minnesota (2-6) had taken the lead on a 31-yard field goal by Ryan Longwell with 2:43 remaining.

The Vikings rallied from a 21-14 deficit, tying the score late in the third quarter on a 9-yard run by Adrian Peterson.

The Panthers, who have a bye this week, had taken the lead earlier with 3:53 left in the third quarter on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Cam Newton to Steve Smith.

After Longwell’s field goal, the Panthers drove 63 yards — getting a key third-down conversion on a 44-yard pass from Newton to Brandon LaFell. The Panthers appeared to have the ball inside the 5 with 42 seconds left on a Newton run, but the play was called back by a holding call on Smith.

Newton came back with a 5-yard pass to Smith, which set up Mare’s field-goal attempt. It was Mare’s second miss of the season from 30-14 yards (he’s made 13).

The Panthers play again Nov. 13 at home against Tennessee.

–David Scott

Third-quarter blog: Panthers 21, Vikings 21

The Panthers retook the lead on their first possession of the third quarter, scoring on a 22-yard pass from Cam Newton to Steve Smith. It was Smith’s fourth touchdown reception of the season.

The Panthers began the drive on their 20, and got big plays from receiver Legedu Naanee (a 23-yard reception) and Newton (24-yard run).

The Vikings answered with a long drive of their own, going 90 yards on 12 plays, tying the game 21-21 on a 9-yard by Adrian Peterson with 1:58 left in the third.

The Panthers remaining two possessions of the third quarter resulted in a pair of three-and-outs for a total of 17 yards. — David Scott

Halftime blog: Panthers 14, Vikings 14

Minnesota took advantage of Cam Newton’s second fumble of the first half to tie the score at 14 at halftime Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.

The Panthers had the ball near midfield and were driving when NFL sack leader Jared Allen hit Newton from the blind side and forced the fumble. Chad Greenway recovered at the Panthers’ 39-yard line with 1:03 left.

The Vikings needed only two plays to score – a pair of screen passes to Adrian Peterson, who darted 19 yards for the game-tying score with 42 seconds left.

Newton hadn’t lost a fumble all season. The Panthers are 0-5 in games when he has a turnover this season.

The Panthers took a 14-7 lead on a pair of Newton touchdown passes to his tight ends.

Jeremy Shockey pulled down a 1-yard score to pull the Panthers even at 7-all with 13:22 left in the second quarter.

On the Panthers’ next possession, Newton fired a dart down the right seam for Greg Olsen, who caught it in stride and ran in for a 39-yard touchdown.

It was the first time two Panthers’ tight ends caught touchdown passes in a game since a 31-23 win over Tampa Bay on Dec. 30, 2007.

–Joseph Person

First quarter blog: Vikings 7, Panthers 0

The Panthers had an awful start, giving up a 78-yard return to Marcus Sherels on the opening kickoff.

Carolina dodged a bullet when the defense held and Ryan Longwell pulled a 45-yard field goal attempt wide right.

But they could not keep the Vikings out of the end zone after quarterback Cam Newton fumbled on the Panthers’ first offensive play. Jared Allen recovered at the Panthers’ 16-yard line.

Two Percy Harvin carries later, the Vikings had a 7-0 lead.

It was Newton’s first lost fumble of the season. The Panthers are 0-5 when Newton has a turnover.

The Panthers drove into Vikings’ territory on their next drive, which stalled when rookie right tackle Byron Bell was called for holding.

The Panthers were in Minnesota territory again as the first quarter ended.

–Joseph Person

Carolina and Minnesota both will be short-handed in the secondary today.

Two of the Panthers’ top reserve defensive backs are inactive – safety Jordan Pugh, who has missed two games following a Week 6 concussion, and cornerback Darius Butler, who was in Florida all week following his young daughter’s heart surgery.

The Vikings are without a pair of starting corners. Chris Cook remains suspended following his felony assault arrest last week, while Antoine Winfield is out with a neck injury.

Asher Allen and Cedric Griffin will be the starting corners against the Panthers.

The rest of the Panthers’ inactives are QB Jimmy Clausen, RB Mike Goodson, TE Richie Brockel, OT Lee Ziemba and DT Frank Kearse.

R.J. Stanford will be the Panthers’ third corner, while Jermale Hines will be the first safety off the bench.

The other Vikings’ inactives are RB Lorenzo Booker, G Anthony Herrera, OT DeMarcus Love, LB Xavier Adibi and DE D’Aundre Reed.

–Joseph Person

With Donovan McNabb(notes) officially sidelined for the season, the Minnesota Vikings are busy training Christian Ponder(notes) into his new role as starting quarterback. But Ponder isn’t the only rookie QB starting for an NFL team. This weekend, when Ponder starts for the second time, he’ll be going against Cam Newton(notes), the new quarterback of the Carolina Panthers. The big question going into the weekend’s game is, who will win the battle of the rookies?

I hate to say it, but I don’t thing the victor will be Christian Ponder. I think Ponder is a big improvement over McNabb, but he just isn’t in the same league as Cam Newton. Starting against the Packers on Sunday, Ponder proved promising as the new Vikings quarterback. He ended the game having thrown 13 for 32 for 219 yards and two touchdowns. One of those touchdowns followed an impressive 93-yard drive.

These stats are certainly not bad for a rookie quarterback, but they just don’t compare to Cam Newton’s early performances. In the NFL season opener, Newton completed 24 out of 37 passes for an impressive 422 yards, breaking a record formerly held by Peyton Manning(notes). And then, as if 422 yards simply wasn’t enough for a single game, Newton went on to pass for 432 yards the following week. During week 7 of the NFL season, Cam Newton proved that his talent wasn’t limited to passing when he tied Vince Young’s(notes) record for the most rushing touchdowns for a rookie.

The Minnesota Vikings might have a shot at the Carolina Panthers, but it won’t have anything to do with Christian Ponder’s superiority over Cam Newton. It is pretty obvious that Newton is the better player. If the Vikings are going to win, they will need to show the same focus and energy that fans glimpsed last Sunday. As the starting quarterback, Christian Ponder will certainly play into that equation, but it will take a lot of effort from the entire team to snag a second win for the Minnesota Vikings.

Born and raised in Minnesota, S. Gustafson has remained faithful to the Vikings through their many ups and downs.

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The Minnesota Vikings have been lucky they haven’t really had to deal with any offensive injuries as the unit has struggled while healthy this season. The team released its opening injury report for the game against the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday, however, and it included bad news for both Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, among others.

The Vikings had four players that couldn’t practice on Wednesday due to injury, which doesn’t sound all that terrible, except for the fact that three of the players that sat out are skill position starters on offense. Peterson was out with an ankle injury, Harvin missed due to the rib injury he suffered last week and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe didn’t practice because of a foot injury. Guard Anthony Herrera was the only other player not to practice due to injury concerns as he heals from a knee injury.

As far as other important players are concerned, linebacker E.J. Henderson was limited with a knee injury and Antoine Winfield the same with his neck injury. Defensive backfield members Hussain Abdullah and Jamarca Sanford both participated fully in practice despite appearing on the report.

For more on the Vikings, be sure to visit Daily Norseman. If interested in joining in on the Panthers community, Cat Scratch Reader should have everything needed.

By Scott Schroeder

– Assistant Editor

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Oct 26, 2011 – The Minnesota Vikings and Carolina Panthers are two teams that have struggled so far this season despite showing (albeit limited) glimpses of hope through their first seven games of the season. One of the teams with rookie quarterbacks should leave Week 8 with a bit of momentum, however, as they face off this weekend in Charlotte.

The main story of Sunday’s game will be Christian Ponder facing off against fellow rookie Cam Newton in a battle of quarterbacks taken in the first round of the most recent NFL Draft.  Newton is getting quite a bit more hype as he continues to set rushing and passing records for rookies, but Ponder has shown he might be worth his first round pick status after nearly leading the Vikings to an upset win against the undefeated Green Bay Packers last week.

Aside from Ponder, running back Adrian Peterson should be heavily involved if the Vikings are to get their second win of the NFL season. If he’s able to have a huge day — as in 325 yards on the ground — Peterson would also replace Robert Smith as Minnesota’s all-time leading rusher.

For more on the Vikings, be sure to visit Daily Norseman. If interested in joining in on the Panthers community, Cat Scratch Reader should have everything needed.

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Donovan McNabb(notes) wasn’t the only Minnesota Vikings player absent from the field on Sunday. Chris Cook(notes) wasn’t there either, and the reason for his absence was far worse than poor athletic performance. The Vikings cornerback spent Sunday afternoon in a jail cell in Minneapolis, following Saturday’s arrest for allegedly strangling his girlfriend.

Yesterday, Cook was charged with felony domestic assault and released on $40,000 bail. He might be out of jail for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he’ll be returning to the field for next Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers. Yesterday evening, the Minnesota Vikings released a statement announcing Cook’s indefinite suspension:

” Today’s allegations against Chris Cook are very disturbing and disappointing. At this time, he is suspended without pay from the team while we continue to gather information regarding the situation. We will have no further comment until the appropriate time.”

This isn’t the first incident in which a Vikings player has been arrested this season. During training camp in Mankato, fourth-string quarterback Rhett Bomar(notes) was arrested for driving while intoxicated. He ended up being waived from the team in late August. The second arrest of the season arrived in September, when Tyrell Johnson decided to follow in Bomar’s footsteps. Minnesota State Patrol measured his blood alcohol content at .12 percent, enough to get him booked for a fourth-degree DWI charge.

Driving while intoxicated is beyond foolish. It puts the lives of the driver and countless innocent people in danger. And of course, Bomar’s and Johnson’s arrests were incredibly embarrassing for the Minnesota Vikings. But their crimes pale in comparison to Cook’s felony charges. While the two DWI’s can be chalked up to stupidity and carelessness, Cook’s crime is one of disturbing aggression.

After his release, Chris Cook immediately logged on to Twitter to plea for understanding from the fans. His first Tweet explained, ” There’s always two sides to a story!! ” This may be true, but I’m more inclined to believe Cook’s girlfriend, especially since this isn’t the cornerback’s first scrape with the law. In March, he was arrested for brandishing a gun while arguing with a friend.

If it turns out that Chris Cook did strangle his girlfriend, the Minnesota Vikings should kick him out immediately. They have enough problems on their hands without having to deal with yet another criminal.

Born and raised in Minnesota, S. Gustafson has remained faithful to the Vikings through their many ups and downs.

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