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MINNEAPOLIS (Ticker) -- At 29, Chris Weinke is older than most NFL rookies. In his first career start, last year's Heisman Trophy winner showed the poise of a veteran. Weinke shook off a hostile environment at the Metrodome and outplayed Daunte Culpepper as the Carolina Panthers surprised the Minnesota Vikings, 24-13, in the season opener for both teams. "I don't know if it gets any better than this," said Weinke, who completed 13-of-22 for 223 yards and a touchdown. "Obviously, I was excited about the opportunity to start my first game and then to come home to family and friends and now to start the season off the right way." Weinke, who was born and raised in Minnesota, tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to Muhsin Muhammad that gave Carolina a 17-13 lead with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter and also scored on a one-yarder keeper that made it 24-13 with 9:52 to play. "Chris stayed poised in some tough spots in the game," Carolina coach George Seifert said. "The best part of his game was that he was almost unnoticed. He was efficient in what he did." "He made some mistakes but the next play, you'd never know it," Muhammad added. "He did a great job of keeping his focus." Culpepper performed like the rookie, throwing three interceptions and also losing a crucial fumble that resulted in a touchback with 3:34 remaining and ended Minnesota's hopes. The Vikings committed five turnovers and suffered their first opening-day loss since 1995. "The offensive line played great but they were dropping back seven or eight guys against our three or four guys and there wasn't a whole lot of lanes open," Culpepper said. "We needed to do a better job all around moving the ball." Weinke was staked to a 7-0 lead before he even took the field as fellow rookie Steve Smith returned the game's opening kickoff 94 yards to get the Panthers on the board just 17 seconds into the contest. "Steve Smith is a fine player," Seifert said. "People are going to pay more attention to him. Certainly, Minnesota did after the opening kickoff." The replacement officials had to deal with a controversial situation on Minnesota's final possession. On 1st-and-goal from the 6, Culpepper carried around right end before coughing up the ball. The officials originally ruled that he fumbled at the 1 but Seifert challenged. The play was overturned and the referees determined that Culpepper fumbled through the end zone. The Panthers took over at the 20 and ran out the clock. Ironically, the same play happened to Weinke in the 1988 Minnesota state high school championship game at the Metrodome with an opposite result. "It brought back some memories," he said. "I played in here for the state championship and it was the same, exact play. It was just called the other way." In the first half, the Vikings picked up where they left off in last year's NFC Championship game, when they were embarrassed by the New York Giants, 41-0. Minnesota's first four possessions resulted in a fumble, two punts and an interception. The Panthers also took Randy Moss out of the game, holding the Vikings' explosive receiver to just one catch. "Randy always get double-coverage, so that's something they always do," Minnesota coach Dennis Greeen said. "There were just too many times that we had to move the whole field and then we have a turnover." "When you can hold guys like this, the most high-powered offense in the league, you've done something special," added cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock, a former Viking. "I don't think they expected us to be as fast as we were. When we stopped the run with a seven-man front in the first quarter, I knew it was gonna be a good game for us." Culpepper appeared to spark the Vikings in the third quarter, scoring on a eight-yard draw and tossing a 12-yard pass to Cris Carter to give Minnesota a 13-10 lead with 6:05 left in the period. But Weinke answered on the Panthers' next possession, finding Muhammad for a 43-yard completion on a flea flicker to the Vikings 16. Two plays later, Weinke hit Muhammad with a bullet over the middle to put Carolina back ahead. "We called a play where I just take the middle of the field," Muhammad said. "When I saw a linebacker covering me, I just picked an open spot and it was perfect placement. It was a ball you couldn't help but catch." Safety Deon Grant's interception at the Minnesota 34 set up the Panthers' second scoring drive. Weinke tossed a 25-yarder to tight end Wesley Walls before a six-yard completion to Muhammad gave Carolina a 1st-and-goal at the 1. Weinke dove over the top on second down. While Minnesota sputtered in the first half, the Panthers missed opportunities to extend their lead and settled for a 10-0 halftime advantage. On 3rd-and-goal from the 7 late in the first quarter, Tim Biakabutuka caught a pass over the middle and appeared headed for a touchdown. But he fumbled at the 1 and the ball went through the end zone, resulting in a safety. Carolina also marched inside Minnesota's 10 on its next possession, but came away with just three points on John Kasay's 23-yard field goal. It appeared that Carolina's inability to put more points on the board would come back to haunt the Panthers as the Vikings seemed to get a wakeup call at the intermission. After Culpepper's eight-yard TD run capped a six-play, 51-yard drive, the Vikings got more momentum when lineman Talance Sawyer picked off Weinke at the Carolina 49. Moss caught his only pass, a 28-yarder that gave the Vikings a first down at the 14. Two plays later, Culpepper avoided a sack and fired on the run to Carter, who came down with both feet inbounds in the left corner of the end zone. It was the 125th career touchdown for Carter, who tied Walter Payton for fifth on the all-time list. But the lead held up for just over three minutes. Defensive tackle Sean Gilbert blocked the extra point after Carter's TD, ending Gary Anderson's string of 236 consecutive conversions.
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