Vikings gifted bulletin board material that could swing Week 3

We’ve all heard this line hundreds of times: The NFL is a week-to-week league.

The Minnesota Vikings and their fans should be taking that old cliche to heart. It’s been a long week, to say the least, and Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals can't come soon enough.

With starter J.J. McCarthy bruised, battered, and now nursing a high-ankle sprain, the Vikings are preparing veteran Carson Wentz to take over at quarterback, presumably for the short term. While not ideal, that’s the least of Minnesota's problems entering Week 3.

The revamped offensive line has been atrocious, ranking dead-last in pass protection by the analysts over at The 33rd Team, and desperately needs left tackle Christian Darrisaw back.

Minnesota's rushing attack has been disappointing, especially in short yardage. Coach Kevin O’Connell’s play-calling has been under fire. The defense has done a fine job limiting points, but its 29 total missed tackles in two games, per PFF, is a serious red flag.

The good news for Week 3? The Vikings are facing a banged-up Bengals team in the exact same boat. Star quarterback Joe Burrow is expected to miss several months after undergoing surgery for a turf toe injury, meaning old friend Jake Browning will start Sunday’s game opposite Wentz at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Beating Minnesota inside U.S. Bank Stadium with a backup quarterback feels like a tall task, even with the lengthy injury reports for both sides this week. But early Week 3 predictions for this game, surprisingly, have been heavily one-sided.

Minnesota Vikings fans won’t like recent take on Jake Browning vs. Carson Wentz in Week 3

Bleacher Report’s panel of seven analysts weighed in on the Vikings-Bengals game this week, and the site reached a clear consensus. Five of the seven sided with Cincinnati, which is off to a 2-0 start after surviving the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, with Browning playing 48 of the team’s 69 offensive snaps.

B/R’s Gary Davenport, for example, believes a backyard football game could break out in this one, and he favors the Bengals in that scenario.

“The third-stringers for both teams are in play here—both offensive lines are lousy. Neither defense can cover a wall with paint. This has a ‘Week 3's zaniest, highlight-filled, Giants/Cowboys last week game’ vibe written all over it.”

Cincinnati might have a slight advantage with Browning under center, considering he’s well established in Zac Taylor’s system and has a proven connection with superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase.

Can Wentz hang in the pocket and deliver strikes to Justin Jefferson? We’ll find out in real time on Sunday; the state of the Bengals’ already suspect secondary bears watching in the coming days, though.

Here’s the real question: Are we really expecting Browning — who started his NFL career as an undrafted rookie on Minnesota’s practice squad — to torch Brian Flores’ defense this week?

The Bengals rank dead-last in rushing at 2.4 yards per carry, and the Vikings saw Browning’s best during their meeting in Cincinnati back in 2023.

Minnesota’s injuries are notable, especially with star middle linebacker Blake Cashman on injured reserve. But the Vikings built one of the most stacked front sevens in football this offseason.

Javon Hargrave and crew racked up 30 pressures and 25 QB hurries in Week 1 alone. The Bengals will have their hands full in this one, especially on the road.

If Burrow was playing in this game for Cincinnati, over 70 percent of the panel taking the Bengals would make sense.

It’s almost embarrassing to see so much love flowing Browning’s way for this one, but it’s up to the Vikings to shift the national narratives by stringing four quarters of good football together.