Vikings lean into their alternate identity with dominant defense and strong rushing attack

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings under coach Kevin O’Connell have consistently been a pass-oriented team, building around his knack for quarterback development and play design and investing heavily in premier players at the pass-catching positions.

The Vikings have wisely begun to alter their identity this season, as evidenced throughout their 48-10 victory over Cincinnati on Sunday.

With a first-year starter in J.J. McCarthy, who has been temporarily replaced by a savvy if limited backup in Carson Wentz, O’Connell and the Vikings have long been cognizant of the patience required with the passing game. The early output by the offense — ranking third-to-last in the NFL in passing yards per game through three weeks — has provided an unnecessary but pointed reminder of the transition they’re in.

After a humiliating 22-6 loss to Atlanta in their home opener, when they produced just 198 total yards with four turnovers and took six sacks, the Vikings got back to work in a big way.

Their performance against the Bengals, led by a defense that forced five turnovers and enjoyed a record two return touchdowns by cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, highlighted the Vikings’ a collective acknowledgment of the need to play better and play differently to keep up this season in their daunting division.

Jordan Mason powered his way for 116 yards and two scores on 16 carries behind a proud and determined offensive line boosted by the return of left tackle Christian Darrisaw. Wentz was efficient, smart and opportunistic in a turnover-free, two-touchdown debut. The special teams units, highlighted by Will Reichard’s franchise-record 62-yard field goal, were flawless, too.

“The NFL is about facing adversity head on, collectively working to do the things you’ve got to do to correct whatever you need to,” O’Connell said, “but sometimes it’s just a reality check on figuring out exactly who you want to be as a team.”

What’s working

The calls by defensive coordinator Brian Flores had Bengals backup Jake Browning and the rest of their offense off balance all afternoon. Boosted by the return of safety Harrison Smith and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, the Vikings had four sacks and nine quarterback hits to fuel the turnover fest and stifled the Bengals for an average of 2.5 yards per rush.

What needs help

The offense needs to figure out how to stop the pre-snap sloppiness. Though McCarthy’s inexperience and Wentz’s newness to the team have created understandable challenges to a consistently smooth operation, and injuries at left tackle and center have kept the offensive line from finding a rhythm, the Vikings again took several costly penalties. Six of the eight fouls against the offense were for either false starts or illegal formation.

Stock up

RB Zavier Scott. With Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler on injured reserve, Scott became the primary complement to Mason and had eight carries for 30 yards and one catch for 20 yards.

Stock down

Center Michael Jurgens. The only player who took 100% of the available snaps on Sunday, the 2024 seventh-round draft pick made his first career start as a fill-in for Ryan Kelly, who has a concussion. Put in a tough spot in just his fifth career NFL appearance, Jurgens took two penalties — for holding and a false start.

Injury report

Rookie LG Donovan Jackson will likely miss the next two games after undergoing minor wrist surgery on Monday, O’Connell said. He was injured during the Atlanta game and deemed able to play against Cincinnati without risking further damage.

Jackson will travel with the team on its upcoming trip to Europe, though, along with McCarthy and everyone else on the roster except a couple of players on injured reserve who are at more delicate points in their rehabilitation programs.

O’Connell confirmed that Wentz will start this weekend, so McCarthy will miss at least one more game. After they were inactive last week, Kelly and backup LT Justin Skule (concussion) are expected to return. WR Jordan Addison is back from his suspension, too.

Key number

7.3 — Mason’s average per attempt against the Bengals was the highest by a Vikings rusher with 12-plus carries in a game since Nov. 13, 2022, when Dalvin Cook averaged 8.5 yards on 14 attempts in a 33-30 comeback victory at Buffalo.

Up next

The Vikings will become the first team in NFL history to play consecutive international games in different countries. They meet Pittsburgh in Dublin on Sunday and stay overseas to face Cleveland in London on Oct. 5. The Vikings are considered the road team for both neutral-site games, a big scheduling break this year. Their much-needed bye week for extra injury recovery time comes after that.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL