Peterson’s short touchdown run gives Vikings a 7-6 lead on Panthers at halftime

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Vikings lead Panthers 7-6 at halftime

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Adrian Peterson bounced off two tacklers on the way to a short touchdown run that gave the Minnesota Vikings a 7-6 halftime lead over the Carolina Panthers on Sunday night.

Peterson’s 4-yard run capped a short-field drive for the Vikings, who had done relatively little offensively before finding the end zone. Brett Favre completed a pair of passes on that drive, including a 14-yard pass to Sidney Rice that set up the score.

Peterson did the rest, taking the handoff and running for the goal line only to be met by safety Chris Harris at the 1. Harris appeared to have Peterson wrapped up and going backward as Richard Marshall arrived to help, but Peterson stayed on his feet and spun free for the touchdown with 5:01 left in the half.

Matt Moore connected with Brad Hoover for a short touchdown pass early in the quarter for Carolina, but the Panthers had to play the entire period without starting running back DeAngelo Williams. Williams hurt his left ankle on a short run late in the first and was questionable to return.

Hoover’s 1-yard score was his first TD catch since 2004, but Ray Edwards blocked the extra-point attempt and the Panthers had to settle for the 6-0 lead. It was the first missed extra point try for John Kasay since 2005, a streak of 157 straight.

The second quarter offered a little more offense than the opening period, where Ryan Longwell’s missed 39-yard field goal that bounced off the right upright was the most notable play.

Peterson ran for 28 yards on nine carries in the half, while Favre was 6 for 7 passing for 49 yards.

Moore played one of his best halves this season in place of injured starter Jake Delhomme, completing 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards. Jonathan Stewart ran for 21 yards in the half, with most coming after Williams left the game.

The turf in Bank of America Stadium appeared a little slick early after the region got plenty of rain this week, with Favre struggling with his footing before going down on a sack while Peterson slipped on a short third-down catch later on that possession. That prompted Favre to change his cleats at one point in the first quarter, then come onto the field for what seemed to be a prime scoring chance that ended with Longwell’s miss.

The Vikings made their first gain of the night about 35 minutes before kickoff, clinching the NFC North title once Pittsburgh beat Green Bay on a last-second touchdown pass. In fact, Favre and several other Vikings players took a moment to watch the video boards replaying Mike Wallace’s diving touchdown catch before returning to warmups.

Minnesota is still in the hunt for the top seed in the NFC after New Orleans’ loss to Dallas on Saturday night.

Vikings rookie Percy Harvin was back in the lineup after missing a game with migraine headaches. The receiver returned to practice last week and was also to return kicks despite a report he’s set to visit the Mayo Clinic on Tuesday. Harvin told NBC on Saturday that an MRI last week showed he has two bulging disks in his neck, though a team spokesman on Sunday said he couldn’t confirm the report.

Before the game, there was a moment of silence to honor Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who died this week after a fall from the back of a pickup truck in Charlotte.