It's been a rough year for the Carolina Panthers.  The team opened the season with three consecutive losses and before Sunday night, had a record of 5-8.  The offensive line is patched together with bailing wire and chewing gum, the running back is a rookie from Oregon, their quarterback is an undrafted free agent out of Oregon State by way of UCLA.

Coming to town Sunday night were the mighty Minnesota Vikings, a team with an 11-2 record and a team with a chance to maybe catch New Orleans for home field advantage in the NFC playoffs.  The quarterback was the much vaulted Brett Favre having a renaissance as quarterback for the Vikings.  His offensive line is one of the best in the league, his running back, Adrian Peterson one of the top rushers in the league and his corps of receivers includes a trio of youngsters who have dazzled their opponents all year.

So it would have surprised no one if Carolina would have just rolled over, let it go and continued to make their plans for their early January tee times.

Somebody forget to tell the Panthers.  Trailing early at 7-6, the Panthers offense went to work.  Starting running back D'Angelo Williams was injured after only six carries and thirteen yards, , leaving the majority of the work to second year man Stewart who punished Vikings defenders with his aggressiveness and YAC. Quarterback Matt Moore, who looked unsteady at times in the first half, came to life in the second.  And defensive tackle Julius Peppers, spent most of the game inside Favre's jersey, chasing him, hitting him and sacking him.

In the end, the Panthers dominated play against a much more talented team and won going away 26-6. 

Here's the moral to the story.  Despite the bad start, the injuries and the youth movement, this Panthers team has not lied down on it's coach.  Sunday night, they clearly wanted it more than the Vikings did and they took it.  This is the mark of a well coached team that still fights to the very end.

Contrast that to what you witnessed on Sunday with the Bears.  A 31-7 thumping in a game which the Ravens scored twenty-four points off Bear mistakes and the one seven points for the Bears were scored on a punt return for a touchdown.

Ask yourself this question: When the Bears play the Vikings on Monday night, will they play like the Panthers or will they play like the team that lost to Baltimore.  And if you have come to the same conclusion I have, you'll realize two things: Bet heavily on Minnesota and Lovie Smith must go NOW>