4 reasons the Carolina Panthers will beat the Vikings in Week 12

(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Rhule and Teddy Bridgewater
(Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports) Matt Rhule and Teddy Bridgewater /
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(Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports) Kirk Cousins /

The Vikings are vulnerable

There has always been plenty to fear about the Vikings during Mike Zimmer’s tenure. But that doesn’t appear to be the case with this group.

They do have some outstanding playmakers on both sides of the ball that need to be monitored closely during the game. However, they did lose some key veterans during free agency that seems to have hampered them in a big way.

Pro Bowl defensive tackle Linval Joseph has been missed, especially as his replacement Michael Pierce opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 health concerns. Xavier Rhodes’ renaissance with the Indianapolis Colts is another bitter pill to swallow and not having the experience slot cornerback presence of Mackensie Alexander is another factor that shouldn’t be overlooked.

Couple this with long-term injuries to Danielle Hunter and Anthony Barr and Minnesota is not the force of old. They are still capable – don’t get me wrong – but the Carolina Panthers have absolutely nothing to fear and should take advantage of some vulnerability that is prevalent within the Vikings for arguably the first time since Zimmer took over at the helm.

It is going to take a collective effort similar to what we saw against the Lions. And anything close to this level of performance will give them every chance.