3 Splashy Predictions for Bengals at Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 campaign has already experienced wild ups and downs — a strange situation because the season is just two weeks old.
Get ready for Vikings vs. Bengals with three splashy predictions that highlight the Week 3 showdown at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Several players are injured, including the starting quarterback, and the team played particularly poorly last weekend on Sunday Night Football.
The Cincinnati Bengals are up next, though, and these are three bold predictions for that contest.
Bold Predictions | Bengals at Vikings
Getting bold takes on record before Week 3.
1. Jordan Mason Scores Twice
Stop if you’ve heard this before: the Vikings are having a rough time scoring rushing touchdowns, especially deep in the redzone.
A longstanding stain on head coach Kevin O’Connell’s otherwise spotless coaching resume, Minnesota has not gotten the monkey off its back in 2025 with scoring the rock by ground. The outlook certainly didn’t get any better when Aaron Jones hit injured reserve this week, but with Jordan Mason up for the task, the purple team will begin scoring rushing touchdowns before too long.
That will begin on Sunday against the Bengals, as Mason will pound in two scores. One will arrive from inside the 5-yard line, the other from about 12 yards out.
The Vikings need the ground game to cook, and Week 3 will be the first time in a while that it feels like Minnesota has a true bellcow tailback.
2. Max Brosmer Takes His First NFL Snap
We’re not going to be totally specific here, because that could doom the bold prediction. But based on one of these factors, Brosmer will be under center, at least for a play or two:
a) Carson Wentz utterly stinks, and after 2.5 quarters, Kevin O’Connell wants to try something different.
b) Carson Wentz gets hurt — there’s a lot of that going around — and Brosmer trots end to save the day.
c) The Vikings thump the Bengals, and Brosmer gets in for the last drive as the game is out of hand. In a good way.
So, yes, Brosmer makes his NFL Debut.
SI.com‘s Joe Nelson wrote about Brosmer this week, “Something as simple as Wentz hitting his hand on an opposing player’s helmet, like he did to break a finger in 2022 with the Commanders, could put Brosmer in the game. It’s unclear how many undrafted quarterbacks have played in a game, much less started, during their true rookie season, but it can’t be many.”
“The last guy to do it was Tommy DeVito, who starred at Illinois as a college QB in 2022 and then signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He wound up playing in nine games as a rookie (six starts). He threw for more than 1,100 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions as the Giants went 3-3 in his six starts. The most notable undrafted quarterbacks in NFL history are Kurt Warner, Warren Moon and Tony Romo, though all of them had at least some professional football experience before being thrown into the spotlight.”
Vikings fans fell in love with Brosmer during the preseason because of his poise and productivity.
Nelson continued, “Warner played four years in the Arena Football League before leading the Rams to the Super Bowl in 1998-99 as a rookie. Moon played six seasons in the Canadian Football League before blossoming into a Hall of Fame QB in the NFL. Romo signed with the Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2003 and he didn’t take a snap in an NFL regular-season game until 2006.”
“McCarthy’s injury opened the door for Wentz, and the door could open just as quickly for Brosmer.”
3. Will Reichard Hits from 60 or Longer
Will Reichard already banged through a 59-yarder in Week 1 — at Soldier Field, of all places.
The man has looked fantastic so far in 2025, not unlike his start to 2024 when he also kicked magnificently. He’s served as one of the few consistent bright spots for Minnesota, a saving grace, because can you imagine if the kicker were missing kicks on top of what’s already going on? Woof.
On Sunday, Reichard will set his new personal record when a Vikings drive stalls on the Bengals’ 43-yard line. O’Connell will call upon him, and Reichard will connect from 61 yards out.
You must be logged in to post a comment.