Sports
Both the Vikings and Bengals will try to keep their playoff hopes alive in Saturday’s matchup
By: Associated Press
Posted on:
CINCINNATI (AP) — Saturday’s matchup between the Vikings and Bengals is one of the most important for the season. Both teams are 7-6 and on the playoff bubble.
The winner will stay in the playoff race in their conference. The loser will have a much more difficult road and need more help from other teams to get to the postseason.
The game will feature backup quarterbacks for both teams.
Jake Browning will make his fourth start for the Bengals. The Vikings will start Nick Mullens at QB, their fourth different starter this season after Kirk Cousins, Jaren Hall and Joshua Dobbs.
Saturday, 1 p.m. EST, NFL Network.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 7-7.
LAST MEETING: Bengals beat Vikings 27-24 in overtime on Sept. 12, 2021, in Cincinnati.
LAST WEEK: Vikings beat Raiders 3-0; Bengals beat Colts 34-14.
VIKINGS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14), RUSH (12), PASS (16), SCORING (8).
VIKINGS DEFENSE: OVERALL (26), RUSH (26), PASS (17), SCORING (T27).
BENGALS OFFENSE: OVERALL (22), RUSH (32), PASS (17), SCORING (22).
BENGALS DEFENSE: OVERALL (32), RUSH (27), PASS (27), SCORING (22).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Vikings minus-5; Bengals plus-10.
VIKINGS PLAYER TO WATCH: LB Ivan Pace Jr. The undrafted rookie, who played in college at Cincinnati, has taken over command of the defensive huddle with veteran Jordan Hicks sidelined by a shin injury. Pace had a sack in each of the past two games and had a career-high 13 tackles with a game-sealing interception last week at Las Vegas and was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
BENGALS PLAYER TO WATCH: QB Jake Browning’s past two games have been outstanding. Stepping in for injured franchise QB Joe Burrow, Browning threw for 354 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in a win over the Jaguars. Then last week he threw for 275 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another to beat the Colts to keep Cincinnati in the AFC playoff mix.
KEY MATCHUP: Browning against the Vikings defense. The Bengals scored 34 points in each of the past two games, tying a season high. The Minnesota D has allowed 12 touchdowns in its past 10 games, the fewest in the NFL over that span.
KEY INJURIES: RB Alexander Mattison (ankle) and RT Brian O’Neill (ankle) have been ruled out after leaving the game against the Raiders. RG Ed Ingram (hip) will return. WR Justin Jefferson (chest) practiced on a limited basis and said Wednesday he plans to play. He’s listed as questionable. Bengals: WRs Ja’Marr Chase and Tyler Boyd, and CB DJ Turner II were limited in practice, all with ankle issues.
SERIES NOTES: The longest win streak in the series was just two, then the Vikings prevailed in 1989 and ’92. … The teams have alternated wins in the past seven games from 1995 to 2021. … The Vikings are 1-7 all time in Cincinnati, with four straight losses since their lone road win in 1992. … They’ve never lost to the Bengals in six games in Minnesota.
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