On Sunday when Carolina Panther Kicker Olindo Mare's 31-yard chip-shot of a field goal attempt sailed wide left, thus failing to send the game into overtime, the Minnesota Vikings escaped Charlotte, North Carolina, with a much needed and extremely rare road victory. The 24-21 final score was indeed indicative of how closely the game was played that afternoon and also how remarkably close the seasons have gone for these two teams.

The game could have been accurately billed as the "Hard Luck Bowl" as both teams have played eight games this season and lost five of them by a touchdown or less. The Vikings, having dodged a bullet Sunday, finally enjoyed a little more luck than a counterpart for a change when Carolina Quarterback Cam Newton's run in the closing seconds ended up just shy of the goal line and was fortuitously wiped out by a penalty. The offensive holding penalty called on Panther Receiver Steve Smith forced the ill-fated kick by Mare and negated what would have likely been a play that was going to lead to a game-winning Carolina touchdown.

Both teams - now starting rookie quarterbacks drafted in the first round - find themselves heading into the second half of the season with matching 2-6 records. Each team could just as easily be heading into the second half with matching 6-2 records.

For this reason, because the teams' records were deceptively poor, it was a game actually played by two very capable teams who produced a reasonably well played and exciting contest. Many fans not familiar with how these two seasons have gone, would have expected a yawner from two presumed scrub also-rans, but that was far from the case.

The game featured the leading rookie-of-the-year candidate in Newton, the NFL's  leader in sacks, the Vikings' Jared Allen, and the NFL's leading rusher, the Vikings' Adrian Peterson. In a hard-fought game in which the score see-sawed back and forth, all three performers demonstrated why they are having the standout seasons that they are.

Newton is the real deal. As a passer and a runner, there are already but just a few quarterbacks in the league that may be more dangerous than he. On Sunday, Newton threw for 290 yards and three touchdown passes. The rookie star also rushed for 53 yards, yards that did not include that potentially backbreaking run at the end of the game that was negated by the holding penalty. Fortunately for the Vikings, a pair of sacks forced Newton to lose two fumbles or else the outcome of the game almost certainly would have been different.

Allen recovered one of the fumbles, and caused the other. Allen now has 12 1/2 sacks and three fumble recoveries on the year. The relentless defensive end has to be the leading candidate for defensive player-of-the-year honors, as he is on pace to break the all-time single season sack record of 22 1/2 set by the New York Giants' Michael Strahan in 2001.

In addition to leading the league in rushing yards with 798, Peterson also leads the league with nine rushing touchdowns. He supplied a spectacular nine-yard touchdown run Sunday in the way that only he can, but more importantly, he added a 19-yard touchdown reception. After four full years in the league, the Vikings finally used the dynamic back in the passing game as effectively as they have during his entire career. As a receiver Sunday, Peterson caught five passes for 76 yards and the aforementioned touchdown reception. Adding this element to the Viking offensive attack, will cause defensive coordinators around the league to lose a few more strands of hair.

While flying below the radar of the prominent stars that were featured in the game Sunday, Viking Quarterback Christian Ponder continued his development in rather smooth fashion. Like the Panthers, the Vikings have decided to cast their lot with a rookie signal caller, and like the Panthers, the Viking organization also has to be pleased with what they are seeing.

Ponder's numbers so far are not impressive, what with a passer rating of just 77.5, but that does not tell the whole story. The game against the Panthers represented for the first time all season, a Viking performance with four solid quarters of play. While none of the quarters were dominant in any way like many of the quarters the Vikings have exhibited this year have been, but none of the quarters Sunday were duds either, specifically neither the third nor fourth quarter. This fact is due in large part to Ponder's ability to convert third downs into first downs. In his two starts, the Vikings are converting 53.3% of their third downs, only the New Orleans Saints are converting third downs at a higher percentage on the season at 56.3%. Prior to Ponder starting, the Vikings were amongst the worst in the league at keeping drives alive, and in second halves they were absolutely atrocious!

Going forward, while both teams' shot at the playoffs appear to be done, if either can flip their second half and go 6-2 - as we do know - there have been on occasion 8-8 wildcard playoff teams.

For the Vikings, flipping their second half record largely hinges upon the continued improvement of Ponder as he gains more experience and confidence, the continued utilization of Peterson in the passing game to keep defenses off balance, and the return of injured star Cornerback Antoine Winfield to help shore up the depleted secondary.

Whether the Vikings can get into the playoff race in the second half remains to be seen, and though unlikely, it is not out of the question. If they can dodge another bullet here and there and have some more close contests go their way instead of the other way, things could get interesting before it is all said and done.