Kicker scores touchdown

The game, as usual, wasn't broadcast in my area, and the Buffalo station carrying the Buffalo-Miami game seemed to have a tough time keeping track of the stats . . . as the first score updates were rolling, the Carolina-Minnesota game was marked "Later". By the time the second set of updates came rolling past, it was already into the second quarter. Then back to the first quarter, then 3-0 Minnesota, then on to something like a believable sequence of scores. The Vikes were down at the half, but only by 4.

The Buffalo-Miami game ended earlier than the Minnesota-Carolina game, so I didn't get to find out the final score until a few minutes ago. Here is the Pioneer Press report:

The Minnesota Vikings wanted a seasoned, reliable kicker when they signed Ryan Longwell away from rival Green Bay this spring. Who knew he could play quarterback, too?

Longwell's 16-yard touchdown pass to Richard Owens on a fake kick tied the game in the fourth quarter, and his third field goal of the day — from 19 yards with 7:25 left in overtime — gave the Vikings a 16-13 victory over the Carolina Panthers.

The defense provided plenty of big plays for Minnesota (2-0), which struggled to move the ball until the end. Brad Johnson threw a falling-down, 30-yard pass to Troy Williamson, who caught it one-handed, and Chester Taylor ripped off a 33-yard run on the final drive.

Taylor carried 24 times for 113 yards, and Williamson had six catches for 102 yards, all after halftime.