Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings injury and scouting report for Sunday’s game

Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey won’t play on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings after missing his second consecutive practice Friday.

On Wednesday, coach Matt Rhule said there was a 50-50 chance McCaffrey could play, and that it “could go either way.”

Those fortunes changed after he missed practice Thursday.

The Panthers (3-2) are 3-0 when McCaffrey plays this season and are 0-2 when he doesn’t. Dating back to last season, McCaffrey has missed 15 of Carolina’s past 21 games with four different injuries. In the six games he has played, though, he has scored seven total touchdowns.

The Panthers need a win against the Vikings (2-3) after losing two in a row. The Vikings will get star running back Dalvin Cook, who was out last week.

Let’s break down the matchup:

When the Panthers pass ...

Sam Darnold has struggled in the past two games, throwing three touchdowns and five interceptions.

This was after playing mostly mistake-free football through the first three games.

But Darnold hasn’t had his best weapon in McCaffrey and has struggled to connect with Robby Anderson. He also has been protected. He has been hit 19 times and sacked eight times in the past two games, and it has started to affect his play.

The Vikings have been adept at getting to the quarterback this season. They have 17 sacks, one more than the Panthers, who have 16. Defensive end Danielle Hunter leads the Vikings with six sacks.

If the Panthers can’t protect Darnold, they’ll be in trouble.

Advantage: Vikings

When the Vikings pass ...

The Panthers passing defense finally got back on track Sunday, after struggling against the Cowboys.

Cornerback Donte Jackson picked off Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, and the Panthers held him to under 200 yards passing. The Panthers still have the NFL’s top pass defense, in terms of total yards allowed.

Kirk Cousins has been a better passer than Hurts this season. He has 10 touchdowns passing and two interceptions. He’s also averaging 279 yards per game.

Justin Jefferson is one of the best young receivers in the league. He and Adam Thielen make the Vikings dangerous.

However, Cousins, who started out red hot in the first three games, has cooled off over the last two. He has only two touchdowns and two interceptions since Week 4.

Cousins isn’t much of a mobile quarterback, so the Panthers should have an easier time getting to him if they can first slow down the run.

Advantage: Panthers

When the Panthers run ...

Rookie running back Chuba Hubbard will get the start again for the Panthers.

While Hubbard isn’t McCaffrey, he has played well.

In McCaffrey’s absence last Sunday against Philadelphia, Hubbard ran for 101 yards on 24 carries. There were a few times where he almost broke off big runs. But that was against the Eagles, who have the second-worst run defense in the NFL.

The Vikings, meanwhile, have been average against the run.

Opponents are averaging 4.7 yards per carry against the Vikings. The Vikings have also allowed five rushing touchdowns in five games, which is tied for 16th in the league.

Advantage: Even

When the Vikings run ...

Vikings running back Dalvin Cook was removed from the team’s injury report Friday, meaning he’s back after missing Week 5 with an injury.

He and backup Alexander Mattison were both full participants in practice Friday.

Cook is one of the top three best running backs in the NFL. He has played in three games and has 226 yards rushing and one touchdown.

Mattison, who has started in two games and played in five, has been good two. He has 258 yards rushing, which includes two 100-yard rushing games.

The Panthers, for the most part, have been good against the run.

But the past two games have shown they have flaws there. And running the football is what the Vikings do well.

Advantage: Vikings

Prediction

The game will come down to whether the offensive line can protect Darnold, and whether he can protect the ball.

Darnold will see some heat, but will take better care of the ball than he has the past two games.

Panthers 30, Vikings 24

Injury report

Panthers: LB Shaq Thompson (foot) OUT, RB Christian McCaffrey (hamstring) OUT

Vikings: DT Michael Pierce (elbow) OUT, TE Ben Ellefson (knee) OUT