1. Flaggy the coach, Part II? No one loved to throw a red flag like Mike Tice when he was Vikings coach. It even earned him the nickname "Flaggy the Coach" from Star Tribune columnist Patrick Reusse. The current Vikings coach, Leslie Frazier, isn't animated the way Tice was. But he sure looked like Flaggy the Coach II. Throwing the red challenge flag on two calls that didn't have a chance of being overturned -- a fumble by Percy Harvin in the second quarter and a 22-yard completion by Carolina to the Panthers 39-yard line early in the third quarter -- cost the Vikings two timeouts and left them without any challenges with 28 minutes left in the game. That can't happen in a close game on the road. Frazier needs a more objective set of eyes advising him on when to throw the red flag.

2. Taking the penalty a risk Considering the run-pass weapon that Panthers quarterback Cam Newton is, it was quite a risk for Frazier to accept a holding penalty on third-and-8 from the Vikings 32-yard line midway through the first quarter. Had the Vikings declined, Olindo Mare would have been called in for a 50-yard field goal -- he's 1-for-2 on field goals of 50 yards or longer. He also missed the 31-yarder at the end of the game. Accepting the penalty can be defended since the field goal attempt is in Mare's range. However, Newton had just converted a third-and-10 with a 15-yard run. He also threw a 22-yard TD on third-and-7 and a 44-yarder on fourth-and-15.

3. Bringing the heat early E.J. Henderson had his first sack of the season on Carolina's first offensive snap of the game. Despite Newton's ability to avoid the blitz and gash the defense for big gains, the Vikings went in with the idea of blitzing early. They backed off later, but they went all out on the first play, with Henderson getting a strip-sack and Jared Allen recovering. Allen later got his own strip-sack, giving him 12 1/2 sacks, which might have him labeled the front-runner for league defensive MVP. The two takeaways led to the Vikings scoring their first two TDs on drives of a combined four plays and 45 yards. "People act surprised that we forced two turnovers or held Carolina to three straight three-and-outs in the second half," Allen said. "I've been here long enough to remember when that was expected from us."

4. What's up with that? The Vikings deserve credit for winning on the road and for winning for the first time at Carolina. But there are still some things they do that don't make sense. Especially on offense. Why, for example, do they sometimes motion a receiver from out wide to a tight position near the tackle when they're running the ball between the tackles? This happened on second-and-9 from the Vikings 21-yard line in the second quarter. There were eight defenders in the box. When the receiver came in and lined up tight, it brought a ninth man in the box. In this case, the ninth man, cornerback Chris Gamble, made the tackle. You can say the receiver should have blocked Gamble. But why do something that brings Gamble into the box in the first place. The other head-scratcher is splitting Ryan D'Imperio out as a wide receiver. Really?

5. Draft overanalysis has to go One thing came to mind watching Newton, above, play on Sunday: The hyperventilating overanalysis that starts before the scouting combine and extends through the NFL draft is complete garbage. Newton was the latest QB drafted No. 1 overall to be picked to the bone and beyond during the months that draft gurus exaggerated everything in order to feed the beast that has become a nation of draftniks. The beating Newton took during the overhyped process was profoundly undeserved. Unfortunately, nothing will be learned and we'll see the process repeated.