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NFL Carolina PanthersMinnesota Vikings

Cam Newton Is Key To Panthers Win Over Vikings

By @bradberreman24

Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

A Week 12 bye came at a good time for the Carolina Panthers , with a five-game losing streak dropping their record to 3-7-1. But they can still win the NFC South and host a Wild Card game in January, since the top record in the division is shared by the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons at 4-7. Winning five games in a row to end the regular season would make that happen, starting with a road trip to take on the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday. The Panthers are just 1-3-1 on the road so far this season, but the Vikings are not a legit playoff contender right now and it looks like a winnable game for Carolina.

Cam Newton has played in four of Carolina’s five road games this season, but he has yet to lead them to a win away from Bank of America Stadium (0-3-1 record). Two of his three highest passing yardage totals this season have come on the road though, with 306 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 10 and 284 yards through the air against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 6.

In two career games against the Vikings, Newton has averaged 266 passing yards and 41.5 rushing yards per game with seven total touchdowns (six passing, one rushing). Minnesota’s defense is much-improved this year under head coach Mike Zimmer, but Newton’s running ability will add to the challenge of containing him.

Newton had offseason surgery on his left ankle, which caused him to miss the season opener, and more recently reports have surfaced he is dealing with a right foot issue. Those lower body issues have put him on pace for career-lows across the board as a rusher, but the bye week should help Newton be closer to full strength at this point.

It’s not a coincidence that Newton has five touchdown passes (four in the last two games) and eight interceptions (five in the last two games) during Carolina’s five-game losing streak, and at minimum a clean game from him in terms of turnovers will be required for the Panthers to beat the Vikings on Sunday.

I think Newton needs to have at least 300 yards of total offense for the Panthers to beat the Vikings, and he needs to make a notable impact as a runner in particular. If Newton is simply a pocket passer for most of Sunday’s game, Minnesota’s defense will have a much easier time keeping the entire Carolina offense in check.

Brad Berreman is a Columnist at Rant Sports.com. Connect with him on Twitter or Google +.

 

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