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After Minnesota's 20-10 victory against Carolina, here are three (mostly) indisputable facts I feel relatively sure about:

1. If there was ever a formula for the way the Vikings should win under their current personnel configuration, it was Sunday. Their defense sparked them with a big play -- Antoine Winfield's score was the Vikings' 14th defensive touchdown since 2006 -- and the offense mixed in enough explosive plays with its ball-control style to keep the Panthers at a distance. And when Carolina was forced into catch-up mode, defensive linemen Jared Allen and Kevin Williams let loose with the pass rush.

2. Sorry, Visanthe Shiancoe. One touchdown catch -- on a play that no defender touched him -- does not mitigate four dropped scores in the past 19 games. Shiancoe dropped another (non-scoring) pass earlier in Sunday's game after a big hit. I understand he's absorbed some pretty violent hits over time. I don't expect a tight end to make acrobatic catches, but he should hold on when he collides with someone smaller than him. Don't know about you, but I cringe every time I see him running open down the middle of the field. What a tease.

3. Vikings coach Brad Childress should leave the literary references to college professors. Speaking to reporters after the game, Childress quoted a passage he said was written by George Orwell. (Childress also used it on his players Saturday night). Childress challenged reporters to do some research to understand the full meaning; those who did could find no connection between the passage and Orwell. It was apparently written by an 18th century Baptist minister.

And here is one question I'm still asking:

Can the Vikings find a way to more fully incorporate Chester Taylor into their offense? Yes, I'm aware I was among the angry mob last season who questioned why Childress insisted on splitting the duties between Taylor and Adrian Peterson. But if you made a list of the Vikings' top 11 offensive players, Taylor would be one of them. The Vikings are using him as a kick returner now, but there has to be a way to get him on the field with Peterson. Reportedly, that happened twice against Carolina. That's a start.