Vikings-Bengals preview: 3 big questions about this backup QB battle

Wentz has quite the opportunity in front of him. On Sunday, he'll make his first meaningful start since the 2022 season, and he'll do it for the team he grew up cheering for as a kid in North Dakota. He'll also do it with Kevin O'Connell in his ear and Justin Jefferson as his No. 1 target, which is a pretty advantageous environment for any quarterback.

It's hard to know what to expect from Wentz, given how long it's been since he had an opportunity like this one. In 2022, his last year as a starter, his numbers were pretty mediocre. But that Washington Commanders team wasn't as talented or well-coached as these Vikings are. Wentz played well around a more talented Colts roster in 2021, and his early-career peak with the Eagles needs no explanation. He's also inevitably gained a lot of insight from being around the Patrick Mahomes-Andy Reid and Matthew Stafford-Sean McVay duos over the past couple years.

O'Connell and the Vikings got two wins out of Josh Dobbs in 2023 despite signing him less than a week before he was eventually thrust into action in Atlanta. Wentz is a former MVP candidate with a much stronger track record than Dobbs, he's been with the Vikings for close to a month, and he gets the entire week to prepare as the starter. It's not ridiculous to believe he has a chance to have some immediate success for Minnesota.

If Wentz does hit the ground running over the next few weeks, there's a world where things get interesting for the Vikings. Would they go back to McCarthy despite his struggles in 7 of his first 8 quarters, knowing he needs reps to develop? Or would they give Wentz a chance to keep going and maybe even have a 2017 Case Keenum or 1998 Randall Cunningham-esque season?

We'll cross that bridge on the off chance we get there. For now, Wentz and the Vikings are fully focused on the Bengals, who have allowed the fifth-most passing yards per game in the NFL through two weeks.

Can Browning take care of the ball against Flores' defense?

Browning is no ordinary backup quarterback. Not only has he been with the Bengals since 2021, after the Vikings cut him, there's already evidence that he can step in and keep Cincinnati afloat without Burrow. Browning went 4-3 as a starter in 2023, completing over 70 percent of his passes and throwing 12 touchdowns to 7 interceptions. One of those games was an overtime win over the Vikings where he threw for 324 yards and a couple scores. Last week, he led a game-winning drive against the Jaguars.

The one area the Vikings might be able to exploit with Browning is his tendency to put the ball in harm's way. He threw three interceptions on just 32 attempts last week. In 2023, he had seven picks in seven games and PFF's 12th-highest turnover-worthy play rate out of 39 QBs with at least 200 dropbacks. That was despite Browning having a very low average depth of target of 6.6 yards, which jumped up to 9.0 in a one-game sample last week.

Browning is absolutely good enough to get the ball to Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Chase Brown enough to put some real stress on the Vikings' defense. But he's far more liable than Burrow to give the defense opportunities for takeways. The Vikings don't have any INTs through two weeks after leading the league with 24 last year, so they'll look to get on the board this Sunday.

It'll be crucial for the Vikings' pass rush to supply pressure. When Browning was pressured against the Jaguars, he was 3 for 9 for 33 yards, 1 TD, and 2 INTs.

Which non-QB will do the most to determine the outcome?

Quarterbacks aside, there are all kinds of interesting players on both sides who could have a huge impact on the outcome of this game.

The first one that jumps out is Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, who is one of the best defensive players in the sport. He's coming off of back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons and leads the NFL with 14 pressures through two games this year. Hendrickson's presence is why the status of Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw is so important to track heading into this game. If Darrisaw makes his season debut, it'll be a battle of titans. If he doesn't, the Vikings will likely have to give second-year player Walter Rouse his first career start, which would necessitate giving Rouse help on basically every pass play.

On the other side of the ball, Vikings outside linebackers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel (assuming he plays) could have a similar type of impact. Interior pass rushers Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave will be going against an interior trio that includes former Vikings guard Dalton Risner and rookie Dylan Fairchild. The Bengals have a solid offensive line, but not a great one.

In terms of the skill positions, it'll always be worth keeping a close eye on Jefferson and Chase, the two former LSU teammates who are, at worst, among the three or four best wide receivers on the planet. Chase and Higgins have plenty of experience catching passes from Browning. Wentz will become the eighth quarterback to complete a pass to Jefferson in his illustrious career (Cousins, Darnold, Mullens, McCarthy, Mannion, Dobbs, Hall), so it'll be interesting to see if they can quickly get on the same page.

Whichever team is able to get more of an efficient running game going will be better positioned to help its quarterback succeed. The Vikings, without Aaron Jones, are expected to lean on Jordan Mason as a bellcow in their backfield. The Bengals will be looking to get Brown on track, as he's run for just 90 yards on 37 attempts so far (2.4 YPC). The Vikings' defense was gashed by the Falcons' running game last week.