Bengals visit banged-up Vikings with Browning at QB for injured Burrow, seeking 1st win in Minnesota

By Canadian Press on September 18, 2025.

Cincinnati (2-0) at Minnesota (1-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS.

BetMGM NFL Odds: Vikings by 3.

Against the spread: Bengals 1-1, Vikings 1-1.

Series record: Bengals lead 8-7.

Last meeting: Bengals beat Vikings 27-24 on Dec. 16, 2023, in Cincinnati.

Last week: Bengals beat Jaguars 31-27, Vikings lost to Falcons 22-6.

Bengals offense: overall (30), rush (32), pass (tied 20), scoring (9).

Bengals defense: overall (24), rush (10), pass (28), scoring (16).

Vikings offense: overall (31), rush (20T), pass (30), scoring (28T).

Vikings defense: overall (17), rush (30), pass (5), scoring (17).

Turnover differential: Bengals plus-1, Vikings minus-3.

Bengals player to watch

QB Jake Browning. After making seven starts in 2023 for the Bengals when Joe Burrow was injured, Browning has stepped in again for the two-time AP Comeback Player of the Year award winner after a toe injury has sidelined him for at least three months. Browning spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons on Minnesota’s practice squad.

Vikings player to watch

QB Carson Wentz. Just three weeks into his tenure with the team he grew up in North Dakota rooting for, Wentz will make his first start after a sprained ankle put J.J. McCarthy out for this week and perhaps more. Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, will extend his NFL record to making at least one start for six different teams in a six-year span.

Key matchup

Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson vs. the left side of the Vikings OL. The 2024 All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl pick Hendrickson, who led the league with 17 1/2 sacks last season, will probably force multiple blockers to account for him. Stunts and twists by the Falcons last week gave the Vikings plenty of problems. If LT Christian Darrisaw is cleared to return from knee surgery, there won’t be any easing into action against Hendrickson.

Key injuries

Bengals: Beside Burrow and two potential starting guards being on IR, Cordell Volson and Lucas Patrick, the injury report is thin this week. Rookie DE Shemar Stewart (ankle) is doubtful this week. LB Logan Wilson (ankle) and CB Cam Taylor-Britt (hamstring) were limited in practice on Wednesday.

Vikings: RB Aaron Jones (hamstring) was the latest regular to land on IR this week. … Darrisaw, who was inactive for the first two games, was a full participant in practice on Wednesday. His replacement, Justin Skule, was removed from the previous game and placed into the concussion protocol along with C Ryan Kelly. Kelly, McCarthy and Skule have not practiced this week. … S Harrison Smith (illness) was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday along with OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion). Smith has not played yet this season. Van Ginkel missed the previous game along with backup CB Jeff Okudah (concussion), who has returned to full practice.

Series notes

The Bengals have never won in six all-time games in Minnesota, last visiting in 2017. Cincinnati is 8-1 at home in the series. … Baltimore (2-0) and Houston (3-0) are the only other teams the Vikings have never lost to at home. … Each of the past two matchups have gone to overtime, won by the Bengals in 2021 and 2023. The most recent time the Vikings played consecutive overtime games against an opponent was Tampa Bay in 1994 and 1995.

Stats and stuff

The Bengals are 2-0 for the first time since 2018 and haven’t started 3-0 since 2015. … Bengals RB Chase Brown has 10 straight games with at least 50 scrimmage yards. He has 18 rushing attempts to the right side this season, second most in the league. … Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase had 14 catches for 165 yards and a touchdown last week, his third career game with at least 14 receptions. He is averaging a league-high 99.9 receiving yards per game since the start of last season. … The Bengals defense has four interceptions, tied for second in the league. … Hendrickson has an NFL-best 19 1/2 sacks since the start of last season. … The Vikings have run only 95 plays in two games, the fewest in the league. … McCarthy had four turnovers in two games and took nine sacks. … Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is the only player on the team so far with more than four receptions. … The Vikings defense is tied for seventh in the NFL in both red zone touchdown rate (42.9%) and third down conversion rate (33.3%). Opponents are 0 for 12 against them on all plays third-and-6 and longer.

Fantasy tip

Bengals WR Tee Higgins had a TD catch both times he has faced Minnesota. He has seven red zone TD receptions since the start of last season. The Vikings are giving up an average of 175.2 receiving yards per game to WRs over the past two seasons, second worst in the NFL.

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The Associated Press