Following their worst loss in a home opener since 2014, the Vikings will try to get their first win at U.S. Bank Stadium before heading overseas for two weeks. To do so, they’ll have to help their backup quarterback (Carson Wentz) produce against the Bengals defense while keeping Cincinnati’s backup (Jake Browning) from leading his second win against them in three years.
Backup quarterback matchup: Wentz, who signed with the Vikings at the end of August, will be the seventh quarterback to start for Kevin O’Connell in just his 54th regular season game. He will face Browning, the former Vikings backup who led the Bengals to a comeback victory over the Vikings in December 2023 (and delivered a memorable rejoinder to his former team afterward).
Hendrickson begins run of decorated pass rushers: If the Vikings get left tackle Christian Darrisaw back on Sunday, he will jump right into a difficult matchup: Bengals right end Trey Hendrickson leads the league with 15 pressures through two games, according to Sports Info Solutions, and has two sacks so far this season. The Bengals rarely blitz (they have done so only nine times through two games), and Hendrickson is one of the few getting to the quarterback; his 15 pressures are as many as the rest of the team combined. If the Vikings can control him, they should be able to create time for Wentz to work.
Jefferson looking for a big day: Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden took over for Lou Anarumo as the Bengals’ defensive coordinator, playing a scheme that makes frequent use of three-deep zones with third-year safety Jordan Battle occasionally lining up in the box. The Vikings will try to get Justin Jefferson going after he had just seven catches in the first two games; Jefferson will see plenty of fourth-year corner Dax Hill, who’s returning from a torn ACL, but if the Vikings can get him matchups against safety Geno Stone, who tends to struggle in deep coverage, they could have opportunities for big plays.
Vikings will again see Browning, not Burrow: In three training camps with the Vikings, Browning’s defining moment might have come in 2021, when he was the only quarterback available for the team’s night practice at TCO Stadium while the Vikings had three QBs in the COVID-19 protocol. Against the Vikings in 2023, he hit Tee Higgins for a 21-yard touchdown with 39 seconds left, sending the game into overtime, where the Bengals won it with an Evan McPherson field goal. Despite throwing three interceptions after Burrow was injured last week, Browning helped Cincinnati to another comeback win, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 13 seconds left. Browning was 5-of-11 with a touchdown and two interceptions last week when facing pressure, according to Sports Info Solutions; if the Vikings can win against a shoddy Bengals line, they could pressure Browning into interceptions.
Chase presents a challenge: Whether competing for more targets at Louisiana State, All-Pro honors in the NFL, the largest contract for a non-quarterback or credit for popularizing the Griddy, the friendly rivalry between Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase has gone on for years. Chase comes to Minnesota for the first time in his NFL career on Sunday, and likely will be looking for a big day in Jefferson’s house. The Bengals will try him deep downfield occasionally, but also give him opportunities to run after the catch on short routes; Chase has 55 yards after catch on four balls he caught behind the line of scrimmage this year, according to Pro Football Focus. Between Chase and Higgins, the Vikings secondary will have plenty to worry about.
It’s difficult to pick the Vikings here, given the fact they’re lining up with a quarterback who’s never thrown a pass for them in a game and their secondary will face one of its toughest tests of the season. Wentz and center Michael Jurgens will have to be on the same page with Ryan Kelly out, and whether or not Darrisaw plays, the Vikings need to keep Hendrickson from wrecking the game. If they can do that, though, they should have chances against the Cincinnati secondary, while Jordan Mason could be in line for a solid game against the Bengals run front. Their defense will also have a boost playing at home, and their pass rush will face one of the weakest lines it will see all season. If the Vikings’ high-priced acquisitions — Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the defensive line, Will Fries on the offensive line — do their jobs, the Vikings should get to 2-1 by winning at home, even if it’s ugly at times. Vikings 17, Bengals 14