Minnesota Vikings’ dominant win highlighted by historic performance and controversial draft pick
It was a performance of sheer dominance by the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings secured a critical win for the franchise on Sunday afternoon, not just beating the Cincinnati Bengals, but destroying them 48-10.
The win improves the Vikings’ record against the Bengals at home to 7-0 and their 2025 record to 2-1, which ties them for first place in the NFC North. After a poor performance against the Atlanta Falcons, this was much-needed.
Normally, we look at players who were good and bad. This is a bit different, as we examine the top performers.
Vikings’ best performers in Sunday’s blowout win vs. Bengals
CB Isaiah Rodgers
There isn’t a better way to classify Rodgers’ performance on Sunday afternoon than historic.
Rodgers was signed this March to be a starting cornerback in Brian Flores’ defense. He wasn’t a full-time starter for the Eagles last season, but he showed quite a bit of ability.
Rodgers didn’t just have a really good game; it was historic. He was the first player in NFL history to have two defensive touchdowns and two forced fumbles.
That is crazy to think about, and he did it in the first half. Flores believed in Rodgers to be the guy for the Vikings, opposite of Byron Murphy Jr, and he’s proving it thus far.
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RB Jordan Mason
The running game was a major emphasis this offseason for the Vikings. Last season, the short yardage run game wasn’t just bad; it was atrocious. They had a great offense overall, but the run game was brutal in short-yardage situations, both because of the talent at running back and the offensive line.
They improved the offensive line tenfold with three new starters on the interior, along with adding Jordan Mason. He was tremendous on Sunday with 116 yards on 16 carries, along with two touchdowns. He was making players miss, along with consistently running them over. Having that element in the backfield has been such a benefit for the Vikings’ offense.
EDGE Jonathan Greenard
When you look at the box score for Greenard, it’s not the sexiest. He recorded three tackles, two tackles for loss, and one quarterback hit. His impact on the field has been tremendous in many ways, particularly in penetrating the backfield.
Even though he didn’t get a sack, Greenard forced Browning into one of Andrew Van Ginkel’s two sacks and impacted the run game consistently with his presence. Greenard is the best player on the Vikings’ defense and continues to prove why the Vikings paid big money to get him last season.
EDGE Dallas Turner
This may seem a bit unusual at first, but Turner has been effective for the Vikings this season. The flashy plays aren’t there right now, but multiple elements of his game have seen significant improvement. Those continue to resonate for Turner and the Vikings.
His strength is so impressive compared to his rookie season, which is the biggest reason he has taken a step forward. Turner isn’t getting washed out by offensive linemen in the running game and has the awareness to continue pursuing plays on the backside. The flashy plays will come, and it’s because Turner has the boring stuff down.
LT Christian Darrisaw
This one is simple: Darrisaw’s return maximized the Vikings’ offense. He was excellent in many ways, especially in pass protection, as the Vikings held Trey Hendrickson to zero sacks. Having Darrisaw on the field does so much for the Vikings’ offense. He’s arguably the most important player on the team.
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