The Vikings are Facing a Double Play of Revenge in Week 3
The Vikings are soon to see Jake Browning, someone who turned in a fantastic effort in 2023 to overcome Minnesota. He’ll be looking for a repeat effort on Sunday.
While there will be no shortage of attention of Browning — someone who became an NFL player after Minnesota signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2019 — the Vikings are facing a pair of former quarterbacks. Brett Rypien has been upgraded to being the Bengals’ QB2 after the Joe Burrow injury (Ian Rapoport).
The Vikings are Facing a Pair of Former QBs
Rypien’s greatest asset is his brain.
Sitting on a 4/9 touchdown-to-turnover ratio, Rypien functions as a coach in shoulder pads. His on-field play doesn’t inspire much optimism but he’s someone who is consistently employed. The value that he offers is as someone who can help the starter to prepare and decode what’s taking place during the game itself.
Presumably, there is a lot of respect for Mr. Rypien in Eagan. Presumably, the Vikings’ defense will be licking its chops if Mr. Rypien gets inserted into the game.
Standing alongside the poor touchdown/interception ratio is a career record sitting at 2-2. He has completed 58.3% of his passes and has a career passer rating coming in at 59.9. Rypien has been sacked 11 times in his career and has 7 fumbles on the stat sheet. The corners would likely be undaunted by getting scorched deep while the front prepared to get after the former teammate.
The key detail to remember? Simply that a player’s past doesn’t mean a thing once the game gets going.
Sure, the past paints an uninspiring picture of Brett Rypien. There is, however, a reason why he keeps getting the call to sign with new teams. Since joining the NFL as an undrafted passer in 2019 — just like Browning — Rypien has been a Bronco, a Ram, a Seahawk, a Jet, a Bear, a Viking, and a Bengal. Maybe he captures some magic if he’s given the chance against his former employer on Sunday. Motivation and bitterness combine to form revenge, a desire that can fuel unusually strong play.
More likely, however, is a football game where Jake Browning handles the opening snap and then holds onto the starting job throughout the day.
In Week 2, Browning led the Bengals to victory. He did so while completing 65.6% of his passes for 241 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor is going to want those turnovers to decrease, but all anyone can ask of a backup quarterback is to compete like crazy while giving his side a chance to win.
The Vikings are moving into an uncertain phase with Carson Wentz taking over. Quite possibly, Minnesota’s new QB1 will be supported by some roster reinforcements, but that remains to be seen.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
