Sunday’s game at U.S. Bank Stadium was hyped for Carolina Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater returning to Minnesota as a franchise quarterback, but rookie linebacker/safety Jeremy Chinn briefly stole the show with two touchdowns in 10 seconds.
Carolina’s second-round pick out of Southern Illinois picked up a strip sack by defensive tackle Zach Kerr and raced 17 yards for his first NFL touchdown on the third play of the second half. On Minnesota’s next play, Chinn helped strip the ball from running back Dalvin Cook on a run up the middle and went 28 yards for the score that made it 21-10.
Add a TD to the list @ChinnJeremy2 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZJDLjw8NZ6
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) November 29, 2020
What a day for @ChinnJeremy2! #KeepPounding
📺: #CARvsMIN on FOX
📱: NFL app // Yahoo Sports app: https://t.co/3d58FGy7PH pic.twitter.com/joZzKdqZy8— NFL (@NFL) November 29, 2020
But the Panthers’ defense couldn’t hold in the fourth quarter. A 10-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to wide receiver Chad Beebe with 46 seconds left gave the Vikings a 28-27 lead and then the win after Panthers kicker Joey Slye missed a 54-yard potential game-winner.
According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Chinn is the third player in NFL history with multiple fumble-return touchdowns in a game. Al Nesser had three for the Akron Pros in 1920 and Fred Evans had two for the Chicago Bears in 1948.
Chinn is also the first player to score two defensive touchdowns in the same game since Samson Ekuban for the Los Angeles Rams against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2018. He is the first player in Panthers history to score two defensive touchdowns in one game.
This happened with Bridgewater, whose career began at Minnesota as a first-round pick in 2014 and almost ended due to a horrific right knee injury suffered during training camp in 2016, watching on the sideline.
For Chinn, who has been in the conversation for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, the two touchdowns may have surged him into the lead.