Behind Enemy Lines: Chatting about Newton and Munnerlyn with beat writer Jonathan Jones

For the Vikings' Week 13 matchup against the Panthers, we spoke to Jonathan Jones, who covers the Panthers for the Charlotte Observer, for this week's edition of "Behind Enemy Lines." Here are five questions we asked Jones about Sunday's game at TCF Bank Stadium.

1. Has quarterback Cam Newton regressed, or has his supporting staff been the byproduct of the 22nd ranked offense this season?

JJ: Cam has obviously played hurt, so that hasn't helped his progress any. The thought early in the season was that Cam was a better pocket passer because he couldn't use his legs as much in the preseason due to his offseason ankle surgery. Cam has made some mistakes in recent weeks, but he's also had a different offensive line in each of the past five games. Minnesota will make six. The line has failed him multiple times, and [general manager] Dave Gettleman tried to patch up the line with some pieces that have proven to be (less than) mediocre. The result is Newton on pace to be sacked more than ever in his career, the offense being ranked 22nd and the Panthers at 3-7-1.

2. How much has defensive end Greg Hardy's absence impacted the Panthers defense?

JJ: It's been huge. Think about it like this: How much has the absence of [Adrian] Peterson impacted the Vikings' offense? Of course AP is a future Hall of Famer and Hardy is far from that, but the principle is the same. Gettleman's philosophy is that you win up front. That's why he spent $13.1 million to keep Hardy this season. Around Hardy, the line would generate the most sacks in the NFL again, the linebackers would be able to flow to the ball and the secondary's inefficiencies would be masked. That was the thought, anyway. Without Hardy, teams can scheme against DE Charles Johnson and not really worry much about the other side of the line. The Panthers planned all offseason to have their Pro Bowl DE, and they got him for one game.

3. What does the Panthers secondary look like through 11 games without Vikings cornerback Captain Munnerlyn?

JJ: Honestly it looks about the same as last year. To my earlier point, this secondary isn't breaking any records. Their safeties aren't that fast, and their best cornerback was benched earlier this season. Last year Captain brought a great deal of grit to the group, and safety Mike Mitchell brought an attitude with some hard hits. But it was really a secondary that looked a lot better than it really was because of the front seven. Make no mistake, Carolina wanted to keep Munnerlyn, but the Vikings out-bid them. But his absence isn't the cause for the woes of the Panthers' defense or secondary. That group looks about the same as it did last year.

JJ: The biggest surprise has definitely been undrafted rookie guard Andrew Norwell. Folks probably haven't heard of him, and the Panthers want to keep it that way. He came out of Ohio State undrafted and has started several games lately and played really well on a line that's really taken its lumps this year. Trust me, Panthers fans can sympathize with Vikings fans when it comes to offensive line woes. Norwell has made Gettleman and his scouting staff look like geniuses.

As far as the biggest disappointment, let's just say it's the running game. They've been banged up with injuries all season but that excuse only goes so far. This team has yet to have 150 rushing yards in a single game. DeAngelo Williams has gone down at first contact and Jonathan Stewart hasn't gotten a great deal of carries. Now, this could change with the return of fullback Mike Tolbert, who adds another dimension to Carolina's backfield. But there's no doubt this team's rushing offense has been a letdown.

5. What will the Panthers need to do to win on Sunday and, as dumb as it sounds, remain in the hunt for the NFC South title while boasting an astonishing 3-7-1 record right now?