CINCINNATI — WLWT Sports Director George Vogel asked me back on September 2 what my thoughts were on the Bengals season-opener Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. My answer extended to how I think the Bengals first two games, against Minnesota and Chicago, are both very similar matchups. And with Pittsburgh looming in the third game of the season, the first two games against Minnesota and Chicago could very well set the tone in the early part of the season.
Minnesota Vikings @ Cincinnati Bengals – 1 p.m. on FOX (Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, Jennifer Hale) Radio: ESPN1530, 102.7 WEBN (Dan Hoard, Dave Lapham)
Opening Thoughts
These two teams are evenly matched, I think. Particularly their offenses. There’s a case to be made for saying either offense is better than the other.
The importance for the Bengals to get off to a good start this season can’t be overstated enough. On one hand, winning keeps fans interested. I give a lot of credit to Elizabeth Blackburn and the front office for upping the team’s social media presence and relationship with the public this offseason. New uniforms, new traditions, the Ring of Honor; those are all great and welcoming new additions. But now the Bengals have to win games. This fanbase is starving for a winner, especially on the heels of five straight losing seasons.
On another hand, you want to push the attachment of “must-win” as far into the schedule as possible. Meaning, you don’t want to feel like you have to win a game or else the season is essentially over by let’s say week six. If “must win” doesn’t apply until let’s say week 13, that’s much better and less pressurizing. Especially considering week 13 starts a brutal six-game stretch to close the regular-season, and going into that stretch 7-4, where I have this Bengals team through 11 games, would be much better than 4-7 or worse.
Becoming a winning organization involves winning the games you should win and stealing wins in toss-up games or games you’re not supposed to. The first 11 games offer plenty of opportunities for wins for the Bengals.
Finally, setting a tone is talked about often. Look at the Reds this season. Nick Castellanos hulk-hoganing Cardinals pitcher Jake Woodford and the team’s subsequent season-opening series win over St. Louis set the tone for the season that this team was here to compete, and win. And to this point in the MLB season, they have. That’s what I want to see from the Bengals. Set the tone in the season-opener Sunday that they are here to not only play but win games this season. Winning is chain reaction. One can lead to another. And all that will do is create a positive tone throughout the city, positive content on the sports talk shows and confidence within the team that can carry on throughout the entire season. And beating teams like Minnesota and Chicago, two physical teams, can have them ready to take on the Steelers in week three, which could be a crucial early-season battle.
This is a game the Bengals can win and, quite honestly, should win. Minnesota has talent, especially on offense. But if Kirk Cousins isn’t protected behind a flawed offensive line, that talent won’t be able to be utilized. Mike Zimmer has one of the best defensive minds in football, and his defensive line has been revamped. Can the Bengals offensive line keep them at bay while protecting Joe Burrow? If they can, the Bengals can unleash their weapons at a Minnesota defense that ranked towards the bottom of several defensive categories in 2020.
Players to watch
Bengals on offense – Jonah Williams. I could have gone with any Bengals offensive starter here. But this offensive line is such a key that I went with the man protecting Joe Burrow’s blind side. Before Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase were selected in the last two first rounds of the NFL Draft, Williams was the Bengals first round pick in 2019. He has only played in 10 games over the course of his first two NFL seasons, and that can be looked at two different ways. While missing 22 games suggests he hasn’t stayed healthy, that also means he hasn’t had many opportunities to showcase what he can do. He comes into this 2021 season with something to prove, and proving something this season can only bolster the Bengals offensive line.
Vikings on defense – Danielle Hunter. Like Williams, Hunter missed time last year. In fact, he didn’t play at all due to opting out amid COVID-19 concerns. Hunter is a beast, with 14.5 sacks in both 2018 and 2019 and 12.5 in 2016. I talk about this game preparing the Bengals for the Steelers, Ravens and Browns and those teams’ pass rushers… that applies to Jonah Williams blocking one of the league’s premier pass rushers.
Vikings on Offense – Justin Jefferson. The obvious answer is Dalvin Cook. But this is not a segment where I state the obvious. Jefferson had a tremendous rookie season, and it was no surprise to those who watched him at LSU in 2019. 88 receptions, 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns was what he amassed in his rookie season. His speed is also something to take note of, as the Bengals defense has struggled to keep up with speed on opposing offense in recent seasons.
Bengals on defense – Trey Hendrickson. Hendrickson was perhaps the biggest free agent signing of the offseason for the Bengals in the offseason. And for good reason; he will be the leader of what hopes to be an improved Bengals pass rush. He’ll have an advantage going up against Vikings backup left tackle Rashod Hill, and his ability to generate a pass rush to get the Bengals defense off the field could be crucial in a game that can go either way.
Thoughts on the Opposing Quarterback
I’ve always thought Kirk Cousins is a better quarterback than he’s been given credit for. He’s the only quarterback in the NFL to have over 3,500 yards and 25 touchdown passes in each of the last six seasons. Statistically, he’s been really good. Five times in the last six seasons he has thrown for 4,000 or more yards, including nearly 5,000 in 2016. But, as you might remember in 2016 and in three other seasons in his career, he failed to lead his team to the playoffs.
Cousins signed an $84 million, fully-guaranteed contract in the 2018 offseason, and, naturally, that created expectations for him and the Vikings. There have been highs, climaxed by the Vikings playoff win at New Orleans in 2019. But there have also been lows, a lot of lows. Like ten interceptions thrown by Cousins in the first six games of 2020. Add that on top of Cousins’s inability to consistently win games against teams .500 or better, and you have a quarterback who, statistically, is above average. But in terms of winning, he is just that; average.
It wasn’t just 2020 where Cousins struggled early in the season. In each of his first three seasons in Minnesota, Cousins and the Vikings got off to a slow start. In 2019, Cousins only had three touchdowns to two interceptions in the first four games of the season. And in 2018, despite Cousins delivering 10 touchdowns and two interceptions, the Vikings went just 1-2-1. The hot seat is more associated with head coach Mike Zimmer, but I would add this is a pivotal year for Cousins and how he is viewed in the Twin Cities and on a league-wide level.
Frankie’s Gameplan to Victory
1. Protect. The. Franchise. – This is the key to every game. Really, it’s the key to organizational success for the Bengals. I’m magnifying it because of what happened to Burrow last year, which was, obviously, not his fault. Did the Bengals do enough to bolster their offensive line? That question is subjected to how you interpret “doing enough.”
Did they sign a lot of offensive linemen in free agency? No. Should they have? Yes. Riley Reiff was a good signing, no doubt. But where this line needed help was in the interior. Heading into Sunday’s season-opener, the Bengals have largely familiar players in the interior of their offensive line. That is a concern, but the hope is, and this is where changes were made, offensive line coach Frank Pollack and his experience can turn this unit around. Specifically, the hope is Pollack can be the reason for Spain to continue and elevate his play from 2020 and Su’a-Filo to consistently be this team’s starting right guard.
2. Stop (or at least contain) Dalvin Cook – Stopping the run is a fundamental aspect of defensive football. And that especially applies here in the Bengals stopping or containing Vikings running back Dalvin Cook. Stopping the run has been a glaring weakness of this team’s defense in recent seasons, and for a Vikings team that thrives off of play action it is crucial for this Bengals defense to take the running game away, or at least make Kirk Cousins go out and win the game shouldering most of the offensive load. I’ll take my chances if the Bengals defense can do that.
3. Unleash Joe Mixon – Whereas we know the Vikings have an established run game, the Bengals have struggled to establish one themselves under Zac Taylor. That has to change. A, because Burrow cannot be throwing the ball 40 times a game. B, because Joe Mixon is really good. You may not know that because the Bengals haven’t unleashed his full potential within the offensive gameplans. When Frank Pollack was the Bengals offensive line coach in 2018, Mixon led the AFC in rushing yards. With Pollack returning as offensive line coach and run game coordinator, that will hopefully help Mixon get back to that 2018 form. But the coaching staff has to involve him heavily in the game plan.
Where this game will be decided
Two areas. First, in the trenches. The team that can win the line of scrimmage will win this game. The focus will be on the Bengals offensive line versus a revamped Vikings defensive line and if they can protect Joe Burrow, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t look at the matchup the other way around. Minnesota’s offensive line has holes, and the Bengals have also revamped their defensive line with free agents Trey Hendrickson and Larry Ogunjobi. The results were promising in the preseason. It’s not just in division games where the Bengals need to win the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, which will enable the offense to put points on the board and get the defense off the field. It’s also in games like this Sunday against Minnesota they need to play complimentary football.
Second, the Vikings receivers against the Bengals corners is a mismatch. Consider: Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson against Bengals cornerback Eli Apple. Whoa boy! Apple is a former first-round draft pick, but he hasn’t lived up to that billing and he has also struggled to consistently stay on the field. Adam Thielen has been reliably consistent the last few seasons. Can the Bengals limit his impact on the game, particularly in the red zone? Much like the defensive line struggling to stop the run in recent seasons, the Bengals secondary has been atrocious against tall, physically imposing receivers. Will this revamped secondary deliver different results?
Game Pick: Bengals 27 Vikings 21
This game can go either way. Again, both teams are evenly matched. But I get the sense that things are going downhill for the Vikings. I got a feeling if they lose this first game they could be headed towards a very dark season, especially after a drama-filled training camp headlined by Kirk Cousins and his COVID-19 vaccine stance.
I saw a tweet last year saying that Zac Taylor’s best coaching the last two seasons have come in a week one loss. In each of the last two seasons, the Bengals have played very well enough to win each of their season-openers. They just couldn’t close the deal. And that loss led to many more losses each of the last two seasons.
Two years ago, the Bengals launched their New Dey campaign. This season, it’s important for the Bengals to get off to a good start to show that it is, in fact, a New Dey. It’s also important to get off to a good start to set the tone in the early-going in 2021.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 