Minnesota Vikings vs. Carolina Panthers: 2021 Week 6 Recap

Game story

In Week 6 of the 2021 NFL season on 2021-10-17, the Minnesota Vikings took care of business against the Carolina Panthers, pulling away with a 34–28 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.

The highest-scoring period was Q3 with 20 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.

S. Darnold (Carolina Panthers) paced the passing game, with -12.67 total EPA, and -20.3% completion percentage over expected.

On the individual side, K. Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +8.32 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.

The momentum swing (-35.7% win probability) landed in the fourth quarter when Minnesota Vikings changed the game: (:06) 1-G.Joseph 47 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.

1. 1 K. Cousins · Minnesota Vikings · Passing · +8.32 total EPA · 50 snaps · +0.17 EPA/play
2. 2 A. Thielen · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +7.15 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
3. 3 K. Osborn · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +7.07 total EPA · 7 snaps · +1.01 EPA/play
4. 4 I. Thomas · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +2.45 total EPA · 2 snaps · +1.23 EPA/play
5. 5 C. Ham · Minnesota Vikings · Rushing · +2.38 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.38 EPA/play
6. 6 T. Conklin · Minnesota Vikings · Receiving · +1.97 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play
7. 7 S. Smith · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +1.15 total EPA · 2 snaps · +0.58 EPA/play
8. 8 A. Erickson · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +1.06 total EPA · 1 snaps · +1.06 EPA/play

Player of the game

FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

• Carolina Panthers — C. Hubbard (Q1 53:31)
• Minnesota Vikings — C. Herndon (K. Cousins pass) (Q2 41:05)
• Carolina Panthers — K. Robinson (Q3 21:56)
• Minnesota Vikings — D. Cook (Q3 19:06)
• Minnesota Vikings — A. Thielen (K. Cousins pass) (Q3 17:30)
• Carolina Panthers — R. Anderson (S. Darnold pass) (Q4 0:46)
• Minnesota Vikings — K. Osborn (K. Cousins pass) (OT 5:55)

Field goals

• Minnesota Vikings — G. Joseph (Q1 56:55)
• Minnesota Vikings — G. Joseph (Q1 48:01)
• Carolina Panthers — Z. Gonzalez (Q2 34:25)
• Minnesota Vikings — G. Joseph (Q4 10:19)
• Carolina Panthers — Z. Gonzalez (Q4 4:44)

How it unfolded, quarter by quarter

A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.

The opening quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 7–6. Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the CAR 6 (Q1 56:55); Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the MIN 2 (Q1 53:31) — (8:31) (Shotgun) 30-C.Hubbard left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q1 53:27) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.; Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the CAR 7 (Q1 48:01) — (3:01) 1-G.Joseph 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry..

The second quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 6–3. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the CAR 2 (Q2 41:05); Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the MIN 29 (Q2 34:25) — (4:25) 5-Z.Gonzalez 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow..

The third quarter: Minnesota Vikings won the period 13–7. Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the CAR 76 (Q3 21:56); Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the MIN 15 (Q3 21:49) — 5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.; Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the CAR 16 (Q3 19:06); Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the CAR 5 (Q3 17:30) — (2:30) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass short right to 19-A.Thielen for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Minnesota Vikings added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q3 17:24) — 1-G.Joseph extra point is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry..

The fourth quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 11–3. Minnesota Vikings connected on a field goal from the CAR 20 (Q4 10:19) — (10:19) 1-G.Joseph 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the MIN 5 (Q4 4:44) — (4:44) 5-Z.Gonzalez 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the MIN 7 (Q4 0:46) — (:46) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short middle to 11-R.Anderson for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers registered a safety from the MIN 2 (Q4 0:42) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 14-S.Darnold pass to 82-T.Tremble is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS..

Overtime: Minnesota Vikings won the period 6–0. Minnesota Vikings found the end zone from the CAR 27 (OT 5:55) — (5:55) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass deep left to 17-K.Osborn for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.

• Minnesota Vikings (Q4 0:06) — (:06) 1-G.Joseph 47 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Right, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry. [WPA -35.7% · EPA -2.16]
• Minnesota Vikings (Q3 21:56) — (6:56) 3-J.Berry punt is BLOCKED by 49-F.Luvu, Center-42-A.DePaola, RECOVERED by CAR-27-K.Robinson at MIN 4. 27-K.Robinson for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -20.1% · EPA -5.01]
• Minnesota Vikings (OT 5:55) — (5:55) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass deep left to 17-K.Osborn for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA +19.6% · EPA +3.84]
• Carolina Panthers (Q4 0:42) — TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 14-S.Darnold pass to 82-T.Tremble is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS. [WPA +19.5% · EPA +1.05]
• Minnesota Vikings (OT 7:11) — (7:11) 33-D.Cook left tackle to CAR 24 for 16 yards (34-S.Chandler). [WPA +18.3% · EPA +1.40]

Impact plays

Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.

• Carolina Panthers (Q1 60:00) — (15:00) 14-S.Darnold pass short right intended for 11-R.Anderson INTERCEPTED by 21-B.Breeland at CAR 30. 21-B.Breeland to CAR 22 for 8 yards (82-T.Tremble). [WPA -9.1% · EPA -6.04]
• Minnesota Vikings (Q1 54:20) — (9:20) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass short right to 18-J.Jefferson to MIN 41 for 6 yards (24-A.Bouye). FUMBLES (24-A.Bouye), RECOVERED by CAR-43-H.Reddick at MIN 40. 43-H.Reddick to MIN 18 for 22 yards ( [WPA -16.5% · EPA -5.86]
• Carolina Panthers (Q4 8:36) — (8:36) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold sacked at CAR 37 for -8 yards (96-A.Watts). FUMBLES (96-A.Watts) [97-E.Griffen], RECOVERED by MIN-94-D.Tomlinson at CAR 38. [WPA -4.3% · EPA -5.11]
• Minnesota Vikings (Q3 21:56) — (6:56) 3-J.Berry punt is BLOCKED by 49-F.Luvu, Center-42-A.DePaola, RECOVERED by CAR-27-K.Robinson at MIN 4. 27-K.Robinson for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. [WPA -20.1% · EPA -5.01]

Quarterback report card

S.Darnold led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

• S.Darnold (Carolina Panthers) · 54 dropbacks · 31.5% completion · -20.3% CPOE · -0.23 EPA/play · -12.67 total EPA
• K.Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) · 50 dropbacks · 66.0% completion · +9.6% CPOE · +0.17 EPA/play · +8.32 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.

By the numbers

Despite the final score, Minnesota Vikings generated the better offensive EPA per play (-0.03 vs -0.14), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

• Carolina Panthers: 16 drives, -13.04 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
• Minnesota Vikings: 16 drives, -2.92 total EPA, 8 scoring drives

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.

• Minnesota Vikings leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
• One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
• K. Cousins (Minnesota Vikings) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
• S. Darnold (CAR) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
• K. Cousins (MIN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.

Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.

1. Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q1 56:55 · CAR 6 · Score 3-0
   (11:55) 1-G.Joseph 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry. MIN-69-R.Hill was injured during the play. His return is Probable.
2. Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q1 53:31 · MIN 2 · Score 3-6
   (8:31) (Shotgun) 30-C.Hubbard left tackle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
3. Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q1 53:27 · MIN 15 · Score 3-7
   5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.
4. Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q1 48:01 · CAR 7 · Score 6-7
   (3:01) 1-G.Joseph 25 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry.
5. Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q2 41:05 · CAR 2 · Score 12-7
   (11:05) 8-K.Cousins pass short left to 89-C.Herndon for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on CAR-95-D.Brown, Unnecessary Roughness, 1 yard, enforced between downs.
6. Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 34:25 · MIN 29 · Score 12-10
   (4:25) 5-Z.Gonzalez 47 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.
7. Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q3 21:56 · CAR 76 · Score 12-16
   (6:56) 3-J.Berry punt is BLOCKED by 49-F.Luvu, Center-42-A.DePaola, RECOVERED by CAR-27-K.Robinson at MIN 4. 27-K.Robinson for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
8. Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q3 21:49 · MIN 15 · Score 12-17
   5-Z.Gonzalez extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.
9. Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q3 19:06 · CAR 16 · Score 18-17
   (4:06) (Shotgun) 52-M.Cole reported in as eligible. 33-D.Cook right guard to CAR 1 for 15 yards (21-J.Chinn). Minnesota challenged the short of the goal line ru
10. Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — Q3 17:30 · CAR 5 · Score 24-17
    (2:30) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass short right to 19-A.Thielen for 5 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
11. Minnesota Vikings XP (+1) — Q3 17:24 · CAR 15 · Score 25-17
    1-G.Joseph extra point is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry.
12. Minnesota Vikings FG (+3) — Q4 10:19 · CAR 20 · Score 28-17
    (10:19) 1-G.Joseph 38 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-42-A.DePaola, Holder-3-J.Berry.
13. Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q4 4:44 · MIN 5 · Score 28-20
    (4:44) 5-Z.Gonzalez 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-10-R.Winslow.
14. Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 0:46 · MIN 7 · Score 28-26
    (:46) (Shotgun) 14-S.Darnold pass short middle to 11-R.Anderson for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
15. Carolina Panthers Safety (+2) — Q4 0:42 · MIN 2 · Score 28-28
    TWO-POINT CONVERSION ATTEMPT. 14-S.Darnold pass to 82-T.Tremble is complete. ATTEMPT SUCCEEDS.
16. Minnesota Vikings TD (+6) — OT 5:55 · CAR 27 · Score 34-28
    (5:55) (Shotgun) 8-K.Cousins pass deep left to 17-K.Osborn for 27 yards, TOUCHDOWN.