The Cincinnati Bengals face their toughest test of the new Jake Browning era yet with a visit from the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday.
Those Vikings, spearheaded by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, boast one of the league’s best defenses just as the Bengals have put two games’ worth of offense on film.
That offense has confused opposing defenses to the point players have noted defenders calling out the wrong things at the line of scrimmage, which is a testament to the dramatic overhaul by Zac Taylor and Co. to suit Browning’s needs and preferences.
The result is a two-game streak in which Browning has thrown for 629 yards and totaled five touchdowns.
But those Vikings rank fifth with just 18.6 points per game surrendered on average and fifth against the run at 92.9 yards allowed per game. The unit has held its last four opponents to 21 points or less and shut out Las Vegas last week.
Which is to say Sunday will be a test of whether the staff can further mix up the approach to keep defenses guessing on a short week.
Interesting, though, is that the Vikings will also start a backup quarterback on offense. Nick Mullens, who has attempted 13 passes this year and no more than 30 in each of the last three seasons, will be Minnesota’s fourth different starter this year after replacing Joshua Dobbs. He’ll do so behind an offensive line missing a starting right tackle with elite wideout Justin Jefferson coming back from an injury.
It’s hard to get a clear read on the Vikings offense considering Dobbs had a mini-breakout after arrival via trade, only to get benched in a 3-0 win last week. Now the Vikings turn around and start a new passer on a short week on the road.
The Vikings will also miss starting running back Alexander Mattison, though Minnsota’s ground game only averages 3.9 yards per carry on the season, so there’s a chance for a steadily improving Cincinnati run defense to keep the good momentum going. Star end Trey Hendrickson and others should have a good chance to get after a backup quarterback, too.
On paper, this one looks like it should be the toughest matchup of the Browning era to date, largely because of a quietly elite Vikings defense.
That said, the stunning work by the Bengals coaching staff to produce consecutive 34-point outbursts with a backup quarterback is pretty hard to ignore. And that makes it tough to think the same staff won’t have a way to mix things up and show new looks yet to appear on film that utilizes one of the best (and healthiest) sets of weapons in football right now.
Tack on the quarterback situation and a few key Minnesota injuries that should help the Bengals defense keep points to a minimum and this second-to-last homestand on the season feels like a must-win that they’ll get as they pull away in the second half.
Prediction: Bengals 23, Vikings 17
