Ponder, Vikings top Panthers 24-21
By STEVE REED, AP Sports Writer
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 had 162 yards from scrimmage 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.
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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 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved)