Regardless Of Quarterback, Bengals Must Be Ready For Vikings’ Arsenal Of Weapons
Sep 10, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison (3) reacts with wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) after scoring his first career touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins (not pictured) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Coming off of two straight wins where they put up 34 points in each victory, the Cincinnati Bengals welcome the Minnesota Vikings to town. The Vikings themselves are coming off of the biggest offensive explosion of 2023, as they defeated the Las Vegas Raiders by a final score of 3-0. The Bengals, who enter the game as 3.5 point favorites, will be going up against Nick Mullens, who will be making his first start as a Viking.
Here are our keys to Cincinnati coming away with its third straight victory.
Don’t let Nick Mullens take advantage of his loaded arsenal of skill players
The Vikings are in a quarterback circus right now, as Nick Mullens will now be under center this Sunday for Minnesota after two straight lackluster performances from Josh Dobbs.
Minnesota announces Nick Mullens as the starting quarterback. He will be the fourth QB to start a game for the #Vikings this season. pic.twitter.com/xbNWCuy2hV
— mnsportnews (@mnspnews) December 12, 2023
Even with the questions at QB, the rest of the Vikings’ offense is far from thin.
For starters, there’s Jordan Addison, who could’ve been a potential offensive rookie of the year had CJ Stroud not shot into the stratosphere. He’s tied with Tank Dell, whose name absolutely rules, for the most receiving TDs in the NFL by a rookie. He’s also second in the NFL to Puka Nacua, whose name also rules, in receiving yards among rookies.
We’re just getting started. There’s Justin Jefferson, who needs no introduction. There’s also this guy, who absolutely needs an introduction, particularly because the Bengals are one of the worst teams in the league at covering players at his position.
85 receptions this year for TJ Hockenson, which is a #vikings record for TEs.
What a year he’s had. #vikings pic.twitter.com/oLtWrX5noG
— Ali Siddiqui (@asiddiqui15) December 11, 2023
Hey Lou Anarumo! it’s your pal Schubes. I hope you’re having a good day, and I hope planning the game is going great!
Anyway, this player? His name is TJ Hockenson. He plays tight end, and he’s really good at football. If you could be so kind, could you do anything in your power to make sure he gets covered, that would be awesome. Throw a defender or two on him for the heck of it!
Pass defense will need to be a point of emphasis this weekend for the Bengals to control the momentum of the game.
Make the fewest mistakes
One major advantage Cincinnati has over Minnesota is in the turnover category. Cincinnati is tied for the fewest giveaways in the NFL (11) and is tied for the second best turnover margin in the NFL (+10). Meanwhile, the Vikings are tied for the second most giveaways (24) while sporting a -5 turnover differential on the season.
Nick Mullens, who has averaged over one pick per start in his NFL career, will be the fourth QB that the Vikings have started this season.
The Vikings sport one of the stingiest defenses in the NFL, allowing 18.6 points per game, which is tied for fifth fewest in the league. This Brian Flores-led squad also has Danielle (pronounced dah-neel) Hunter, who has the same amount of sacks as Trey Hendrickson. They’re also coming off of a game where they allowed zero points to the Raiders. Regardless of who your opponent is, any time you shut out an NFL team in a game, it’s a major accomplishment.
With this, Cincinnati must take full advantage of every opportunity to score, and that starts with not making mistakes that take away chances for the Bengals to score. It also means that the Bengals need to force Nick Mullens, a historically turnover prone QB, to make mistakes.
Special teams must play to their maximum potential
With the stingy defense of the Minnesota Vikings, Cincinnati may have to rely on Evan McPherson to get points on multiple possessions. Brian Flores’ squad is ranked seventh in the NFL in red zone percentage. McPherson has yet to miss this year from inside 50 yards, but out of his 12 field goal attempts from beyond 50 yards, he’s missed five of them.
Even more is needed out of 2023 sixth round pick Brad Robbins, whose rookie season has been rocky, to say the least.
Punter Rankings!!
Ty Zentner, replacing Stonehouse for the Titans, has finally crawled out of the basement (his logo will change when he has more punts for Tennessee) pic.twitter.com/ZECG4nm6EL
— Puntalytics (@ThePuntRunts) December 12, 2023
Robbins has definitely had his fair share of struggles to begin his NFL career. He has the second lowest yards-per-punt average in the NFL this year as well as the shortest long punt of any full time punter this year (62 yards). For a quarterback like Nick Mullens who may struggle to move the ball on Sunday, the Bengals will need the best out of Brad Robbins, who has shown flashes of massive potential but has been inconsistent overall. If his right leg can make Nick Mullens have to work extra hard, which he may not successfully be able to do, the Bengals’ chances at a victory will significantly increase.
Up Next