3 Storylines for Vikings at Bengals
Josh Frey
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The Saturday slate of Week 15 begins with the Vikings at Bengals.
This game is a rematch of the 2021 Week 1 contest between the two squads, which the Bengals won by a score of 27-24 in overtime. Fans will remember the costly Dalvin Cook fumble as a big reason why Minnesota lost that time around.
Now, though, we have a critical game between two competitive teams. Here is a look at 3 storylines for this Vikings at Bengals matchup.
Ja’Marr Chase vs. Justin Jefferson
Once collegiate teammates, now Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson are two of the best young receivers in the NFL. This weekend, they’ll have a chance to duke it out for bragging rights, assuming Jefferson is able to suit up (he was listed as questionable on Thursday’s injury report).
Chase set the tone for the game earlier in the week when he was asked if he believed that he and Jefferson were the two best receivers in the league. Chase replied, “I don’t feel like we’re the two best. I feel like I’m the best.”
When he was later asked to name the second-best receiver, Chase would not. “That’s for everybody else to debate.” Chase has recorded 89 receptions for 1092 yards and 7 TDs so far this season.
Playoff Jostling
Both the Bengals and Vikings come into Week 15 with 7-6 records, and a win this weekend would go a long way for both teams in their efforts to make the playoffs.
Currently, Cincinnati sits in the No. 10 seed in the AFC, but they are in the midst of a six-way tie at 7-6 within the conference. The Bengals currently have a 24.2% chance of making the playoffs according to the ESPN Football Power Index, but that will almost certainly leap if they win this weekend.
Meanwhile, the Vikings hold the No. 6 seed in the NFC, and once again, they hold a one-game cushion over the Green Bay Packers for No. 7. However, there are six teams sitting at 6-7 in the conference, so a Vikings loss very likely would eliminate that cushion.
The Backup QB Battle
When the schedule was initially released, this was supposed to be a Joe Burrow vs. Kirk Cousins battle at the quarterback spot. Now, though, both the Bengals and Vikings have had to adjust following season-ending injuries to both starting QBs earlier in the year.
The Vikings are set to start Nick Mullens on Saturday, their fourth different starting QB of the season. This is actually a Vikings franchise record as Minnesota has never started more than three quarterbacks in a season before.
On the other side, Cincinnati is rolling with Jake Browning, who ironically got his NFL career started in Minnesota back in 2019. He spent both the 2019 and 2020 seasons on the Vikings’ practice squad before heading to the Bengals in 2021. Browning has played some fantastic football over the past two weeks, throwing for 629 yards, 3 TDs, and just 1 INT during wins over the Colts and Jaguars.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.