Panthers Fall To Vikings 22-10 In Charlotte Amid Protesters, Police In Riot Gear

The Carolina Panthers suffered a crushing 22-10 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, a defeat that was particularly stinging given the string a riots that have rocked Charlotte since the shooting by police of an unarmed black man earlier this week.

Panthers Fall To Vikings 22-10 In Charlotte Amid Protesters, Police In Riot Gear

The unrest began after Charlotte police shot and killed 43-year-old Keith Lamont Scott on Tuesday, while another man, Justin Carr, died from gunshot wounds (allegedly inflicted by another civilian) during a protest just one day later. Several of the Panthers players have spent the past week answering questions regarding the protests in the North Carolina city, while all were affected by the midnight curfews and the growing presence of police in riot gear downtown.

Bank of America Stadium was surrounded by such law enforcement during Sunday’s game.

Interim City Manager Ron Kimble declared Sunday’s game to be an “extraordinary event,” which allows the city to “modify its permitting process for activities such as parades and specifies particular items that are prohibited from being brought into certain boundaries of the event.”

On Wednesday, North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency, and protests have largely been peaceful since.

About 100 protesters kneeled outside the stadium in Charlotte as the national anthem was played. The Panthers did their best to ignore all of the distractions.

“We talked about it a lot,” said Carolina tight end Greg Olsen. “I don’t know what else there is to be said. There’s a lot going on in the city. This game wasn’t (being played) to save lives or to change the world. We wanted the city to feel good (about itself) more than on a typical Sunday.”

The Panthers initially began giving their city something to cheer for when they built an early 10-point lead in the first quarter. However, the Vikings answered with their first points on a safety after sacking Carolina quarterback Cam Newton in the Panthers end zone. The hosts’ early momentum also continued to disappear after Minnesota return man Marcus Sherels returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown. By the end of the game, Carolina left the field with very few things to be proud of: the one pass thrown to their best wide receiver, Kelvin Benjamin; the eight sacks compiled by Minnesota’s defense; and their lackluster performance in the second half as the Vikings took control of the matchup.

The Vikings have recently become beset by a long string of injuries to starts like quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, running back Adrian Peterson, left tackle Matt Kalil and defensive tackle Sharriff Floyd. 

The Vikings (3-0) are still undefeated this season, after victories against Tennessee and Green Bay. The Panthers, meanwhile, are now 1-2 this season, which seems strange given the fact Carolina lost only two games last year, including Super Bowl 50 to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos also defeated the Panthers in this season’s opener.

Nevertheless, this game evidently came under different circumstances, especially for the Panthers.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” said head coach Ron Rivera when asked if the week’s events played some role in Sunday’s outcome. “When we are here, we practice and we do the things we are supposed to do. We got out and answered the questions. What happened here was very tragic and what we were hoping to do was come out and put that aside for a while. We just didn’t play very well.”

The Panthers will next visit the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday, while the Vikings will host the New York Giants on Monday, Oct. 3.

CHARLOTTE, NC – SEPTEMBER 25: Kyle Rudolph #82 of the Minnesota Vikings catches a touchdown pass against Shaq Green-Thompson #54 of the Carolina Panthers in the 3rd quarter during their game at Bank of America Stadium on September 25, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)