NFL Week 1 Preview: Minnesota Vikings visit the Cincinnati Bengals

MINNESOTA VIKINGS
AT CINCINNATI BENGALS

SUNDAY, SEPT. 12, 2021 // 1:O0 PM ET // PAUL BROWN STADIUM // REFEREE: ADRIAN HILL

REGULAR-SEASON SERIES HISTORY

LEADER: Vikings lead all-time series, 7-6
STREAKS: Vikings have won 2 of past 3
LAST GAME: 12/17/17: Bengals 7 at Vikings 34
LAST GAME AT SITE: 12/22/13: Bengals 42, Vikings 1

MINNESOTA VIKINGS LEADERS (2020 STATS)

Mike Zimmer: 1-0 COACH VS. OPP.

26.9/29.7 PTS. FOR/AGAINST

393.3 OFFENSE

Kirk Cousins: 349-516-4265-35-13-105.0 PASSING

Dalvin Cook: 312-1557-5.0-16 RUSHING

Justin Jefferson: 88-1400-15.9-7 RECEIVING

393.3 DEFENSE

Sheldon Richardson (Cle.): 4.5 SACKS

Harrison Smith: 5 INTs

-1 (22/23) TAKE/GIVE

Jordan Berry (Pit.): 45.8 (40.5) PUNTING (NET)

Greg Joseph (Ten., ’19): 9 (9/9 PAT; 0/0 FG) KICKING

VIKINGS NOTES

• QB KIRK COUSINS had 4,265 pass yards & career-high 35 pass
TDs in 2020. Is only QB with 25+ TD passes in each of past 6
seasons. Passed for career-high 458 yards & 2 TDs vs. INT for
97.2 rating in only career start vs. Cin. (10/30/16 w/ Was.).
• RB DALVIN COOK ranked 2nd in scrimmage yards (1,918) & rush
yards (1,557) & tied-2nd in rush TDs (16) last season, all career
highs. Led NFL with 6 games with 150+ scrimmage yards in

  1. Had 10 TDs (9 rush, 1 rec.) in 7 road games last season.
    • WR JUSTIN JEFFERSON had NFL rookie-record 1,400 rec. yards
    & led rookies with 88 receptions in 2020. Became 4th rookie
    ever with 7+ games (7) with 100+ rec. yards. WR ADAM THIELEN
    had 74 receptions for 925 yards & ranked 3rd in NFL with
    career-high 14 rec. TDs last season. Had 6 TD catches in 8 road
    games in 2020.
    • DE DANIELLE HUNTER had 14.5 sacks in both 2018 & 2019. In
    2019, became youngest player (25 years & 40 days) since 1982
    to reach 50 career sacks. Had sack in last meeting. LB ERIC
    KENDRICKS had 5th-consecutive season with 100+ tackles (107)
    in 2020. Is only player with 500+ tackles (547) & 40+ PD (40)
    since 2016. Had 31-yard INT-TD in last meeting. LB ANTHONY
    BARR has 15 sacks, 8 FFs & 5 FRs in 7-year NFL career. CB
    PATRICK PETERSON makes Min. debut. Ranks tied-3rd among
    active players with 28 career INTs. S HARRISON SMITH had 89
    tackles, 10 PD & team-high 5 INTs last season. Is only active
    player with 25+ INTs (28) & 10+ sacks (13.5)

LEADERS (2020 STATS) CINCINNATI BENGALS

COACH VS. OPP. Zac Taylor: 0-0

PTS. FOR/AGAINST 19.4/26.5

OFFENSE 319.8

PASSING Joe Burrow: 264-404-2688-13-5-89.8

RUSHING Joe Mixon: 119-428-3.6-3

RECEIVING Tyler Boyd: 79-841-10.6-4

DEFENSE 389.2

SACKS Trey Hendrickson (NO): 13.

INTs Jessie Bates: 3

TAKE/GIVE -7 (17/24)

PUNTING (NET) Kevin Huber: 47.2 (42.8)

KICKING Evan McPherson (R): NFL debut in 2021

BENGALS NOTES

• QB JOE BURROW passed for 2,688 yards & 13 TDs in 10 games
last season, both 2nd-most among rookies. Had 5 games with
300+ pass yards, tied 3rd-most ever by rookie. Had 1,148 pass
yards (287 per game) & 8 TDs (6 pass, 2 rush) vs. 3 INTs for 95.8
rating in 4 home games last season.
• RB JOE MIXON is 1 of 3 AFC RBs (MELVIN GORDON & KAREEM
HUNT) with 3,000+ rush yards (3,359) & 1,000+ rec. yards
(1,008) since 2017. Has 75+ scrimmage yards in 2 of his past 3
vs. NFC. RB SAMAJE PERINE had career-high 3 rush TDs in 2020.
• WR TYLER BOYD led team with 79 catches & had 841 rec.
yards last season & is 1 of 6 WRs with 75+ catches in each of
past 3 seasons. WR TEE HIGGINS ranked 3rd among rookies
with 67 catches in 2020, tied-most ever by Cin. rookie (CRIS
COLLINSWORTH in 1981), & led team with 908 rec. yards & 6 rec.
TDs. WR JA’MARR CHASE was selected 5th overall in 2021 NFL
Draft.
• S VONN BELL led team with career-bests in tackles (114) & FFs
(3) in 2020. S JESSIE BATES had 107 tackles & led team with 3
INTs last season. Is 1 of 4 safeties with 3+ INTs in each of past
3 seasons. Bell & Bates were 1 of 2 pairs of DB teammates each
with 100+ tackles in 2020. CB MIKE HILTON makes Cin. debut.
Set career highs in INTs (3) & sacks (3) in 2020 with Pit. DE TREY
HENDRICKSON makes Cin. debut. Tied-2nd in NFL with careerhigh 13.5 sacks with NO last season. LB SAM HUBBARD has 22 TFL & 16.5 sacks over 3-year career.

ON THE AIRWAVES

TV: FOX (1:00 PM ET): Chris Myers, Daryl Johnston, Jennifer Hale (field reporter)
SIRIUS: 133 (Min.), 137 (Cin.) | XM: 383 (Min.), 228 (Cin.) | SXM App: 820 (Min.), 806 (Cin.)

COURTESY NFLmedia.com

Posted in NFL