Wk 13 · 2026
Carolina Panthers at Minnesota Vikings — Sun, Dec 6
Sun, Dec 6 ·
U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
· CBS
Weather
This one is played indoors. There is nothing to forecast.
NFC South · 2-2
at
4:25pET
MIN -3.5 · total 42.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential MIN by 6.4
NFC North · 5-0
What is at stake
An NFC game between two divisions. It decides neither division, but conference record is the tiebreaker that follows head-to-head, and both of these are chasing the same 7 NFC playoff places. Division standings.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Panthers form
W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season
Vikings form
W 23-13at NOW 15-10vs MIAW 23-16at TBW 9-3at CHIW 39-22vs GB
2026 season
Panthers this season
Straight up2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Against the spread2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Over / under2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Vikings this season
Straight up5-0 · 100% (5 games)
Against the spread4-1 · 80% (5 games)
Over / under1-4 · 20% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 6
| Opponent | Panthers | Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| Bears NFC | vs L 37-59 preview | at W 9-3 preview |
| Falcons NFC | at W 34-3 preview | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
| Lions NFC | vs W 32-26 preview | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview |
| Buccaneers NFC | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at W 23-16 preview |
| Packers NFC | at Wk 8 · scheduled preview | vs W 39-22 preview |
| Saints NFC | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview | at W 23-13 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Vikings leads 8–3 · Vikings has won the last 3
11 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
0.9 points toward Vikings
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023-10-01 | Vikings 21 — 13 Panthers | at CAR | Vikings |
| 2021 | 2021-10-17 | Vikings 34 — 28 Panthers | at CAR | Vikings |
| 2020 | 2020-11-29 | Panthers 27 — 28 Vikings | at MIN | Vikings |
| 2017 | 2017-12-10 | Vikings 24 — 31 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2016 | 2016-09-25 | Vikings 22 — 10 Panthers | at CAR | Vikings |
| 2014 | 2014-11-30 | Panthers 13 — 31 Vikings | at MIN | Vikings |
| 2013 | 2013-10-13 | Panthers 35 — 10 Vikings | at MIN | Panthers |
| 2011 | 2011-10-30 | Vikings 24 — 21 Panthers | at CAR | Vikings |
| 2009 | 2009-12-20 | Vikings 7 — 26 Panthers | at CAR | Panthers |
| 2008 | 2008-09-21 | Panthers 10 — 20 Vikings | at MIN | Vikings |
| 2006 | 2006-09-17 | Panthers 13 — 16 Vikings | at MIN | Vikings |
Panthers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Bryce Young QB #9 | 101/162, 1268 YDS, 9 TD, 2 INT |
| Kenny Pickett QB #12 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Chuba Hubbard RB #30 | 61 CAR, 306 YDS, 3 TD |
| AJ Dillon RB #28 | 17 CAR, 43 YDS | |
| Jonathon Brooks RB #25 | 9 CAR, 30 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan WR #4 | 26 REC, 385 YDS, 2 TD |
| Jalen Coker WR #18 | 18 REC, 222 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Darren Waller TE #88 | 13 REC, 148 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Brycen Tremayne WR #87 | 6 REC, 115 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 31 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 26 | |
| Akayleb Evans CB #29 | 20 | |
| Sacks | Princely Umanmielen LB #3 | 3 |
| Jaelan Phillips LB #5 | 2 | |
| Trevis Gipson LB #52 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 2 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 1 |
Vikings leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Kyler Murray QB #1 | 45/71, 433 YDS, 1 TD, 2 INT |
| Carson Wentz QB #11 | 23/39, 276 YDS, 3 TD | |
| Rushing | Aaron Jones Sr. RB #33 | 72 CAR, 297 YDS, 1 TD |
| Jordan Mason RB #27 | 15 CAR, 59 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Kyler Murray QB #1 | 10 CAR, 42 YDS | |
| Receiving | T.J. Hockenson TE #87 | 22 REC, 195 YDS, 1 TD |
| Justin Jefferson WR #18 | 13 REC, 179 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Jordan Addison WR #3 | 11 REC, 163 YDS, 1 TD | |
| Aaron Jones Sr. RB #33 | 9 REC, 68 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Blake Cashman LB #51 | 33 |
| Joshua Metellus S #44 | 25 | |
| Eric Wilson LB #55 | 24 | |
| Sacks | Dallas Turner LB #15 | 5.5 |
| Andrew Van Ginkel LB #43 | 3 | |
| Blake Cashman LB #51 | 2.5 | |
| Interceptions | Andrew Van Ginkel LB #43 | 1 |
| Byron Murphy Jr. CB #7 | 1 | |
| Isaiah Rodgers CB #2 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.