CHARLOTTE, N.C. – “Keep Pounding" has been a symbol of hope for the Carolina Panthers, particularly in home games where a special guest always is invited to bang a “Keep Pounding" drum before kickoff, since former linebacker/assistant coach Sam Mills died of cancer in 2005.
It had an entirely different meaning to the Minnesota Vikings during last year’s 22-10 victory over the Panthers at Bank of America Stadium.
They kept pounding quarterback Cam Newton, sacking him eight times and hitting him countless others in a game that started a four-game Carolina losing streak in a 1-5 start for the reigning NFC champion.
That’s the plan for Minnesota (10-2) again on Sunday when it faces the Panthers (8-4) in a game with big NFC playoff implications.
“You’ve got to hit him like he’s a running back," Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen told reporters in Minnesota this past week. “Don’t hit him like he’s a quarterback because he’s not protected then. No cheap shots. You just hit him like he’s a running back.
“You keep on hitting him. He’s a big guy."
Newton, 6-foot-5 and 245 pounds, is big. He also is vulnerable to big hits, particularly against the blitz where statistically he’s having the second-worst season of his career.
The Vikings, with the league’s No. 2-ranked defense, have been particularly effective against Newton the past two times they’ve met. The 2015 NFL MVP has thrown four interceptions to one touchdown in two lopsided losses.
“When you play a team like this, you have to make sure you’re on you’re on your A-game, that you’re firing on all cylinders," Newton said. “They’re very, very comfortable in their scheme."
The Panthers are in almost a must-win situation with Atlanta (8-5) breathing down their necks for the sixth seed in the NFC. They also still have a shot to win the division if they can run the table and New Orleans (9-4) loses one of its final three games.
Coach Ron Rivera said the situation reminds him of the 2014 season when the Panthers won their final four games to slip past the Saints and Falcons for the division title with a 7-8-1 record.
Only that team was just hoping to make it to the playoffs. This team has aspirations of getting back to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
To do that Carolina, struggling offensively the past two games, must find a way to beat a Minnesota team tied with Philadelphia for the top seed in the NFC.
The good news for Carolina is Pro Bowl center Ryan Kalil (neck) and Pro Bowl tight end Greg Olsen (foot) are returning from injuries. They should provide some stability to a unit ranked 16th in the NFL in scoring and 18th in total offense.
The bad news is outside linebacker Shaq Thompson (foot) already has been ruled out, so the Panthers will have to adjust defensively, particularly in nickel situations.
But stopping the Minnesota pass rush and finding a way to score against a defense ranked second in the NFL in points allowed (17 ppg.) and first in third-down efficiency (27.2 percent) has to be the first priority.
“They exploited some mismatches we had last year and got after myself a lot," Newton said. “I have to do a better job of getting the ball out of my hands, and I plan on doing that."