Newton was 20-for-26 for 242 yards and threw touchdown passes to Brandon LaFell, Steve Smith and Mike Tolbert, and he added 30 yards on the ground for the Panthers (2-3). LaFell caught four passes for 107 yards, including a 79-yard touchdown.

The Vikings (1-4) managed only 290 total yards as quarterback Matt Cassel was 32-of-44 for 241 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Adrian Peterson, playing despite his 2-year-old son's death this week, was limited to 62 yards on 10 carries, his lowest output since he had 60 yards in Week 2 last season.

Newton threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Smith - the wide receiver's 65th career TD reception - in the first quarter and Tolbert turned a shovel pass into a 10-yard TD to make it 14-0.

LaFell torched the secondary for the second-longest touchdown catch of his career on the third play of the third quarter, making it 21-3, and Newton capped a 10-play drive with a 7-yard scramble on Carolina's next possession.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Newton's passer rating of 143.4 marks the highest of his career. … Smith has caught a pass in 96 consecutive regular-season games dating to 2006. … Minnesota TE Kyle Rudolph caught nine passes for 97 yards, including a 23-yard touchdown with one minute left.