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Carolina Panthers Schedule: Five toughest games in 2020

By Luke Tucker

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 29: Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers during the second half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - DECEMBER 29: Christian McCaffrey #22 of the Carolina Panthers during the second half during their game against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium on December 29, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 22: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings lines up in the backfield in the second quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 22: Dalvin Cook #33 of the Minnesota Vikings lines up in the backfield in the second quarter of the game against the Oakland Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) /

No. 5: Week 12, at Minnesota Vikings — 1 p.m. on FOX

After the Vikings drafted Bridgewater with the 32nd-overall pick back in 2014, he was viewed as their quarterback of the future. On August 30, 2016, his career changed forever. Instead of building off a successful sophomore season in which he had lead Minnesota to an 11-5 record, Bridgewater suffered a horrible injury to his leg, which all but ended not only his Vikings career, but his NFL career as a whole. When the Panthers take the field in Week 12 though, it will be Bridgewater’s first chance to start against his old team. And what a challenge it will be.

Minnesota advanced to the NFC Divisional Round last year, built on a tough running game and an elite defense. The Vikings were a top-five defense and ran the ball extremely well behind a rejuvenated Dalvin Cook. As an added bonus, the team received excellent play from Kirk Cousins, who elevated his play past game manager to lead the Vikings to several victories. Perhaps no game was a better example of this than the NFC Wild Card Game, in which Cousins threw for 242 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime.

Overall, the Vikings were great at preventing rushing touchdowns but really struggled to get after the passer in 2019 and the defense got worse this offseason, not better. The team lost Linval Joseph, Everson Griffen, Xavier Rhodes, Andrew Sendejo, Mackensie Alexander, Trae Waynes, and Stephen Weatherly. They did bring in Michael Pierce, who was an effective run-stuffer with the Ravens last season, to replace Joseph, as well as grab 15 draft picks in the NFL Draft.

The team is putting immense pressure on themselves to hit on early picks such as wide receiver Justin Jefferson and cornerback Jeff Gladney. With the aforementioned losses in the secondary, coupled with the team’s trade of Stefon Diggs, it will be necessary to receive immediate production.

Still the Vikings have established stars in Cousins, Cook, and Adam Thielen and should be a fierce contender in the NFC North. Coupled with the fact that the Vikings had the fourth-best home winning percentage last season, this will be a tough game for the Panthers to win.

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