We’ve only reached Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season, but we’ve already got a battle of backup quarterbacks on our hands as the Minnesota Vikings play host to the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
During the early slate of games in Week 2, the Bengals lost Joe Burrow to a toe injury that will require surgery and approximately three months of rehabilitation. That means he’s going to be sidelined for this one, as will Vikings’ starter J.J. McCarthy. After a second consecutive rough performance in the Vikings’ Sunday Night Football loss to the Atlanta Falcons, McCarthy suffered a high ankle sprain, meaning that he’s going to be out anywhere from 2-4 weeks.
That means instead of Burrow vs McCarthy, we’re going to be getting Jake Browning vs Carson Wentz. Vikings fans are familiar with Browning, as he spent time on the Vikings’ practice squad and led the Bengals to a victory over the Vikings in Cincinnati back in 2023. Wentz, who was signed by the team a little over three weeks ago, will get an opportunity to show what he’s learned from the Kevin O’Connell School for Quarterbacks Who Can’t Throw Good and Who Want To Learn To Do Other Stuff Good, Too.™
The Bengals are still formidable on offense, even without Burrow pulling the trigger, while the Vikings’ defense has done what it can but eventually collapsed against Atlanta thanks to the inability of the offense to sustain drives. On the other side, the Bengals have some issues on defense, but it remains to be seen whether or not the Minnesota offense can take advantage of them.
This will be the Vikings’ last game without wide receiver Jordan Addison, as his suspension will conclude after this one, just in time for the Vikings’ back-to-back overseas games in Weeks 4 and 5.
Coverage of this game will be handled by CBS, with kickoff slated for noon Central time. We’ll be bringing you as much coverage as we can, and we’ll put it all right here for you to more easily find.
