4 — number of rookies (QB Teddy Bridgewater, RB Jerick McKinnon, LB Anthony Barr and DT Shamar Stephen) who started Sunday for the Vikings against the Packers, which is the most since a franchise-record five first-year players started against the Bears in 2012

8 — the number of touchdown catches for Panthers receiver Kelvin Benjamin, which is tied for the most in the league by a rookie and accounts for half of Carolina's passing TDs this season (Greg Olsen has five, and three other players have one each); seven different Vikings players have caught touchdowns this season, led by Greg Jennings' three; the veteran recorded the 60th of his career Sunday against the Packers and the first against his former team

9 — fumbles lost by the Panthers this season, which is tied for fourth-most in the league; Carolina has lost possession of the football on five of the seven times QB Cam Newton has fumbled and is minus-2 in turnover ratio; the Vikings have lost just one fumble this season, which is best in the league; the Vikings are even in turnover ratio with 14 takeaways and 14 giveaways

11 — previous meetings between the Vikings and Panthers, which is the fewest between Minnesota and any team that is currently in the NFC; the Vikings are 6-5 in the series; Minnesota claimed the first three matchups, and Carolina took the next three; the Vikings have taken three of the past five, and the teams have split the past four meetings; Sunday's game (noon, CT at TCF Bank Stadium) will be the seventh in the series in Minnesota

28 — ranking for touchdown percentages for opponents of Minnesota and Carolina during red zone possessions this season; both teams have allowed TDs 66.7 percent of the time opponents have moved the ball inside their 20-yard line; the Vikings have allowed 20 TDs on 30 possessions, and the Panthers have allowed 24 touchdowns on 36 possessions

31 (and 32) — rankings for Carolina's average yards allowed on punt returns and kickoff returns, respectively, this season; the Panthers are allowing 14.2 yards per punt return and 32.5 yards on kickoff returns this season; Minnesota is averaging 8.3 yards per punt return and 22.6 yards on kickoff returns, and its coverage teams are limiting opponents to 7.1 yards on punt returns (eighth-best in the league) and 20.6 yards on kickoff returns (fourth in the NFL) 

54 — tackles for loss by Vikings defenders this season, led by 16 from Everson Griffen, who also has a team-best and career high 9.0 sacks; Shariff Floyd is next with eight tackles for loss, Tom Johnson has six, and Brian Robison and Linval Joseph each have five

81 — percentage of successful field goal attempts (17 of 21) from 50 or more yards by Blair Walsh since entering the NFL in 2012; the percentage is tops in the league among kickers with at least 20 attempts, and the 17 field goals made from such distances are the most in that time span

94 — tackles (tallied by Vikings coaches) for Barr this season, which leads Minnesota and includes a team-high 68 solo tackles; Barr also has four tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, 13 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries

223.5 — yards passing allowed per game by the Vikings, which ranks seventh in the NFL; the Panthers are averaging 230.8 passing yards per game, which ranks 19th in the league