If you can bear to look beyond the score of Sunday’s 35-10 Carolina win over the Vikings at the Dome, you might find even darker numbers than you previously thought possible. And they show that with the Vikings, it’s the defense, stupid.

Viking fans at the game yesterday seemed to have absolved Christian Ponder of all his wrongdoing, and have rightly turned their anger toward the purple D. And we agree, with some numbers pointing to poor linebacker play, especially against the pass.

12:54

Amount of time Carolina had the ball more than the Vikings, mostly controlling it with draw plays and short passes underneath.

2

Number of times WR/kick returner Cordarelle Patterson touched the ball, zero times on kickoffs. He caught two passes for three yards.

0

Number in the statistical category of “passes deflected/defended” by Vikings linebackers.