CHARLOTTE, N.C. – For the second week in a row, the Vikings coughed up a double-digit fourth-quarter lead and managed to pull out a nail-biting victory.
Kirk Cousins hit K.J. Osborn for a 27-yard touchdown in the first possession of overtime to give the Vikings a 34-28 win over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. The Vikings will go into their bye week 3-3.
After the Panthers tied the game 28-28 with 42 seconds left, the Vikings drove 46 yards to set up a game-winning kick for Greg Joseph for the second week in a row. But he missed from 47 yards to send the game into overtime.
The Vikings fell behind 17-12 in the third quarter on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown, but their offense, which hadn't scored a second-half touchdown since Week 1, had two in less than two minutes to go up 25-17.
Dalvin Cook, who returned to the lineup and gained 140 yards, scored after the blocked punt. The Panthers' D.J. Moore fumbled on the next play from scrimmage and Eric Kendricks recovered. Less than 90 second later, Adam Thielen scored on a 5-yard pass from Cousins.
But the Vikings could not put the Panthers away, despite three takeaways from the defense and a dismal performance by Carolina quarterback Sam Darnold.
Joseph missed a 50-yard field goal with seven minutes remaining and the Vikings up 28-17 left the door open.
Trailing 28-20 with 2:09 left, the Panthers drove 96 yards, with a huge fourth-and-10 completion by Darnold from his own end zone, and scored a touchdown and converted the two-point to tie the game.
