Maybe the Vikings Loss to Cincinnati Wasn’t as Bad as We Thought

Josh Frey |

Oct 24, 2021

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws through a gap in overtime of the NFL Week One game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings at Paul Brown Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021. The Bengals won 27-24 on a last minute field goal in overtime. Minnesota Vikings At Cincinnati Bengals

When we first saw the Vikings schedule for the 2021 NFL season, it looked like one of the tougher gauntlets in the league. However, a few games looked like they were going to be obviously easier than most others, making them must-win scenarios. One such matchup was week one in Cincinnati, but we all know how that ended up.

The Vikings offense got off to a sputtering start, and the defense just couldn’t contain either of Joe Mixon or Ja’Marr Chase. To cap it all off, Minnesota had a great chance to win the game, but Dalvin Cook fumbled the ball to erase the possible game-winning drive, leaving Minnesota at 0-1 after Evan McPherson hit a field goal to win the game for the Bengals, 27-24.

Much of Vikings fandom went into a bit of a panic after that loss against a team that finished 2020 4-“11-1. However six weeks later, this does not seem nearly as atrocious a loss as it used to. After seven games, the Bengals have already surpassed their 2020 win total after demolishing the Baltimore Ravens, 41-17, to improve their record to 5-2.

Purple PTSD: Should We Be Concerned About Dalvin Cook’s Slow Start?

In addition to their win over the Ravens, Cincinnati has put together victories over Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, and Detroit while losing by a mere three points to each of Chicago and Green Bay. The argument that Ja’Marr Chase shouldn’t have put together such a great performance in his NFL debut seems to have gone by the wayside as well given his recent games.

Over the past four weeks, Chase has recorded 24 receptions, 534 yards, and a pair of touchdowns. Basically, his slash line of 5/101/1 against the Vikings was even slightly below average from his normal production over the past month.

Of course, it would have been great for the Vikings to win that game to open up their season. However, it no longer can be looked at as an egregious defeat after seeing what Cincinnati has done to teams like Baltimore in recent weeks. Either way, the Vikings sit 3-3 following their bye week and need to put together some big wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.