Nordo’s Numbers: Week 3 vs. Cincinnati

The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 48-10, in a blowout victory in their last home game for a month.

Everyone had this game circled on their calendar for the J.J. McCarthy vs. Joe Burrow matchups, which injuries transformed into a Carson Wentz vs. Jake Browning showdown.

The Vikings moved the ball early in a way they hadn’t in the past two weeks, albeit with some help from Cincinnati’s undisciplined play. Wentz looked incredibly comfortable operating on scripted plays, capping the drive off with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Josh Oliver.

Minnesota’s defense picked up where the offense left off, forcing a three-and-out on Cincinnati’s first drive when they tried to force the ball to Ja’Marr Chase. Later, Isaiah Rodgers reeled in an 82-yard pick-six, his first of a historic day that would ultimately include a pair of defensive touchdowns on an interception and two forced fumbles.

Rodgers’ heroics came near the end of the second half, when Cincinnati was threatening to make it a tight game. Instead, the Vikings entered the tunnels with a 34-3 lead that seemed insurmountable, even before a dominant third-quarter performance prompted them to play backup Max Brosmer for the final frame.

Here are five numbers to break down Minnesota’s overwhelming victory against the Bengals.

7

Wentz became the seventh quarterback to start for Minnesota in the Kevin O’Connell era.

The beginning of O’Connell’s Vikings tenure was as stable as coach could want, with the reliable Kirk Cousins starting every single game until his Achilles tear. After that, the Vikings had to cobble together the rest of the season between Josh Dobbs, Nick Mullens, and Jaren Hall.

With J.J. McCarthy’s injury last season, Sam Darnold started every game. Then McCarthy started Minnesota's first two games of the year before suffering an ankle sprain, which led to Wentz taking over. Luckily for Vikings fans — and for Wentz — KOC has a reputation for getting the best out of every quarterback he has had.

1

On their opening drive, the Vikings scored their first touchdown they've scored in the first three quarters this season.

So far this season, Minnesota’s offense has been characterized by slow starts and its inability to protect the quarterback. On the first drive of the game, the Vikings’ offense put that to rest, scoring through the air when Wentz hit Josh Oliver to go up 7-0.

Before this game, the offense had been characterized by its miscommunication and inability to get set. Whether it was due to a condensed playbook or a veteran QB, the offense looked a lot more fluid on the early downs this week. They were able to avoid the lack of miscommunication that plagued them in Weeks 1 and 2.

Even when McCarthy comes back, O'Connell and Minnesota’s offensive coaching staff should look to implement some of the things that made the offense so comfortable early.

156

Isaiah Rodgers outgained both offenses in the first half, producing 156 yards on a pick-six and a fumble recovery for six more. Through the first two quarters, the Vikings had 144 yards of offense, while Cincinnati had 99. For good measure, Rodgers entered halftime with his second forced fumble of the half.

Rodgers easily wrapped up Defensive Player Of the Week before halftime. He was electric from the first snap — and in the right place at the right time when Harrison Smith deflected a Browning pass, taking it 82 yards to the end zone to make it a 14-point game early.

Even when the Bengals tested him in coverage, Rodgers showed he’s no slouch. He played perfect defense on Tee Higgins in the end zone, forcing the Bengals to settle for three.

The final two minutes of the half are where Rodgers really showed out, forcing a pair of fumbles, recovering one for a touchdown, and getting the ball to the offense again, letting them put up seven more.

The biggest concern on the defense coming into this season was the secondary and how the second starting cornerback would play. Rodgers settled that.

3/4

The Bengals turned the ball over on three out of four of their snaps. While the game might have looked like the biggest blowout in recent memory at halftime, there was a chance that the Bengals could have made it a one-score game with the opportunity to get the ball back after the half.

Instead, the turnovers took them out of the game as they fumbled the ball three times in four offensive snaps. The first two fumbles were a result of perfectly executed punchouts by Rodgers, which led to two touchdowns and made it a 31-3 game.

Cincinnati’s day only went from bad to worse on offense. Samaje Perine fumbled the ball, giving the Vikings’ offense the ball again around midfield. That set Will Reichard up for a career-long 62-yard kick to make it 34-3 at the half.

The Vikings and Bengals didn’t have their starting quarterbacks, so this game was always going to be about which offense could make fewer mistakes. While the Vikings limited their mistakes, the Bengals most certainly did not.

2

Jordan Mason rushed for two touchdowns for the first time in his career. Coming into the season, there was a lot of excitement about what Mason could provide to an offense that struggled to run the ball in the red zone. Mason provided just how good he was in that exact situation this week.

Aaron Jones’ injury might have been in the background, with all the additional injuries this team has suffered. Still, his loss propelled Mason into a role as the primary running back, one he held last season with the San Francisco 49ers when Christian McCaffrey missed most of the season.

Mason’s ability to gain yards on early downs and in short-yardage situations took a lot of pressure off Wentz's shoulders. He ended the day with over 100 yards and was especially effective when it came to running the ball outside behind the newly healthy Christian Darrisaw.