The Vikings came into Sunday with a first-time starting quarterback, a series of injury questions on their offensive line and a defense that needed to contain one of the league’s best wide receiving tandems.
With all that uncertainty as the backdrop, the Vikings delivered a blowout win so lopsided, they broke multiple franchise records and ended the game with Max Brosmer at quarterback in garbage time.
They beat the Bengals 48-10, scoring their most lopsided win since a 50-10 victory over the Jaguars on Dec. 20, 1998. Isaiah Rodgers returned a fumble and an interception for a touchdown, while Will Reichard ended the first half with a franchise-record 62-yard field goal that made it 34-3 at halftime. The Vikings forced five turnovers, intercepting Jake Browning twice and recovering three fumbles.
Why it happened
The Vikings forced four turnovers in the first half, as Rodgers put together a game unlike any in NFL history. Before the second quarter ended, he became the first player ever to return an interception and a fumble for a touchdown while forcing two fumbles in the same game. The Vikings pass rush overwhelmed the putrid Bengals offensive line, with another fearsome effort from Jonathan Greenard and a more diverse set of pressure packages following the returns of Harrison Smith and Andrew Van Ginkel, and they were able to lean on their running game in the second half after building a 31-point lead by halftime.
What it means
Though the Vikings’ offensive line penalties and issues protecting quarterback Carson Wentz will need attention after this one, they showed a recipe for how they can win games even as they clean things up on offense. Their defense was at its frenetic best, and though Jordan Mason’s emergence in the ground game came against the feeble Bengals run defense, he showed the kind of decisive cuts and forceful running style the Vikings prized when they traded for him in March. Wentz was more decisive with some of his throws than McCarthy has been, and he protected the ball in a way the Vikings’ first-year starter hasn’t done yet. But if the Vikings can put this kind of a formula together, it should help them be competitive in the midst of their quarterback development.
Play of the game
With two minutes left in the half, Rodgers punched the ball away from Noah Fant, corralled the loose ball while he was on the ground, got up and raced 66 yards for his second touchdown of the game. It put the Vikings up 24-3 with 1:47 left in the first half; they would add 10 more points before halftime.
Turning point
The Bengals had an early chance to tie the score with a drive that had reached the Vikings 29-yard line, when Browning tried running back Chase Brown while attempting to escape pressure from Ivan Pace Jr. Harrison Smith had dropped into zone coverage, and got a hand on Browning’s pass, tipping it toward Rodgers. The cornerback corralled the ball, and brought it back 87 yards for a touchdown that made it 14-0 Vikings.
Up next
Vikings at Steelers in Dublin, Sept. 28, 8:30 a.m.
