Carolina
Panthers
5-6
22
FINAL
0
Minnesota
Vikings
7-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominant display, the Carolina Panthers defeated the Minnesota Vikings 22-0 in Week 13 of the 2026 season, solidifying their playoff hopes while dealing a severe blow to Minnesota's postseason aspirations. With the win, Carolina continues to build momentum as they approach the critical closing weeks of the season.
Joe Burrow led the Panthers' offense with a stellar performance, throwing for 260 yards while directing a well-balanced attack. Jacory Croskey-Merritt added a strong ground game, racking up 88 rushing yards, and Quentin Johnston was the standout receiver, finishing with 108 receiving yards and a key touchdown that helped seal the victory.
The Panthers' defense was relentless, highlighted by Gracen Halton's 1.5 sacks and Garrett Williams' two crucial interceptions, which both thwarted Minnesota’s attempts to gain any offensive rhythm. The game turned decisively in Carolina's favor when Williams picked off a pass in the end zone, extinguishing a promising Vikings drive and shifting the momentum entirely. With this shutout, the Panthers showcased their defensive prowess and offensive efficiency, leaving the Vikings searching for answers.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joe Burrow | QB | 40 | 26 | 260 | 0 | 0 | 83.3 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | 21 | 10 | 85 | 0 | 2 | 19.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 16 | 88 | 5.5 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 9 | 34 | 3.8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 4 | 27 | 6.8 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Ty Johnson | HB | 15 | 16 | 1.1 | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Brock Purdy | QB | 2 | 6 | 3.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quentin Johnston | WR | 7 | 108 | 15.4 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 4 | 38 | 9.5 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Garrett Wilson | WR | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Oronde Gadsden | TE | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Calvin Ridley | WR | 3 | 24 | 8.0 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 2 | 20 | 10.0 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Antonio Williams | WR | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jacory Croskey-Merritt | HB | 3 | 13 | 4.3 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Malik Washington | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Germie Bernard | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| British Brooks | FB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Ty Johnson | HB | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Bush | MIKE | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Phillips III | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Garrett Williams | CB | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Hamilton | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier McKinney | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Greenard | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Gracen Halton | DT | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tony Adams | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kerby Joseph | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris McClellan | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Baun | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davon Godchaux | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalyx Hunt | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah McFadden | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Johnson | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tarheeb Still | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avonte Maddox | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Davenport | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Da'Shawn Hand | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emmanuel Ogbah | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevon Diggs | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Baringer | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Cole | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zane Gonzalez | K | 5 | 5 | 1 | 50 |

