The Vikings gave Carolina quarterback Cam Newton a look that worked for him before.
Safeties Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo aligned just inside the numbers, surveying the field from nearly 20 yards back to signal two-deep coverage. So Newton targeted receiver Ted Ginn, who he had found for a 31-yard gain on an earlier go route. This time, cornerback Trae Waynes saw Newton's pass and kept his sprint down the sideline before intercepting the long ball.
The same mistake wasn't made twice, which has been a mantra of a Vikings defense that, through three weeks, stands alone in the NFL as the only group to have not surrendered a 40-yard pass or run.