Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals Preview

By Chuck Bednar | Saturday, September 17, 2005 | ( 0 )

Got something to say?

When the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings lock horns at Paul Brown Stadium for a 1:00pm EST kickoff on Sunday, September 18, it will be just the tenth time in NFL history the two clubs have met. Minnesota holds a slim 5-4 lead, with Cincy looking to even the series.

The Minnesota Vikings opened the season with a lot of people wondering how they would fare without WR Randy Moss, who led the team in receiving during six of the past seven seasons. If the team's 24-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was any indication, the answer is not good. QB Daunte Culpepper threw for just 233 yards, fumbled twice and was picked off three times during the game as the team's air attack struggled. Of course, if the passing game was disappointing, the rushing game was abysmal. The Vikings rushed the ball 16 times for 26 yards as a team, with no running back gaining more than 20 yards for the game or averaging more than 3.0 yards per carry. Minnesota has to do better than 248 yards of total offense against Cincinnati if they want to avoid an 0-2 start.

The Cincinnati Bengals, on the other hand, put together a nice, solid game on offense against the Browns as they downed their in-state rivals from Cleveland, 27-13. RB Rudy Johnson keyed the rushing attack by carrying the ball 26 times for 126 yards and a touchdown. In addition, QB Carson Palmer completed 26 passes -- nine of them to WR Chad Johnson -- and threw for 280 total yards and a pair of scores in the victory. The win marked the first time Cincinnati started 1-0 under head coach Marvin Lewis, and it was just their fifth opening day win since 1990. The Bengals have talent, and if they've gained poise and confidence after winning their season opener, they may be an extremely tough foe for the Vikings to overcome.

Got something to say?