The Vikings Now Have A Week 1 Opponent For 2021

Press release from purplePTSD:

May 12, 2021

The NFL regular season is four months away (to the day), and the Minnesota Vikings will kick off the season with a game in Ohio at the Cincinnati Bengals.

Minnesota leads the head-to-head all-time series against the Bengals, 7-6.

The two teams last square-danced in 2017 during one of the Vikings’ hottest stretches in recent memory. The Bengals ventured to U.S. Bank Stadium for a 34-7 shellacking in a contest that saw the brief return of Teddy Bridgewater following his gruesome leg injury 20 months prior.

This time the Vikings are led by Kirk Cousins, who has faced the Bengals just once in his career. It was October 30, 2016, and the Washington Football Team and Andy Dalton’s Bengals went the distance to a 27-27 tie. Cousins delivered 458 passing yards — a career-high — with two touchdown passes and one pick.

Other interesting storylines permeate this Week 1 matchup. Left tackle from 2017 to 2020, Riley Reiff, left the Vikings this offseason — to join the Bengals. He will presumably protect Joe Burrow this September while Danielle Hunter returns from injury, seeking to siege the second-year passer. Ex-Bengals corner Mackensie Alexander re-joined Minnesota this offseason, so that will be a mini-revenge game, too.

Yesterday, Vikings wide receiver made headlines by proclaiming that his collegiate quarterback, Burrow, has more “swag” than his current signal-caller, Cousins.

Justin Jefferson made some notable comments on @TheHerd today.– Described Joe Burrow as having more swagger/confidence on the field than Kirk Cousins– Said he wasn't surprised about MN/Fields rumors because "we have to build on for after Kirk…or whatever the case may be." pic.twitter.com/zqSogKLcLH
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) May 11, 2021

So, folks will probably try to make a big deal about that leading up to Week 1. But that’s also a noteworthy talking point — Jefferson will face his former teammate with LSU in Burrow.

Too, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer has serious ties to Cincinnati. Zimmer defensively coordinated the Bengals for six years before landing the big job in Minnesota. The Week 1 bout will be the first time that Zimmer coaches against the Bengals at Cincinnati since he departed the organization.

The Vikings have not played in a Week 1 road game for five years. That was a 25-16 win at the Tennessee Titans in 2016.

Zimmer is 5-2 (.714) with the Vikings in Week 1 games.

Minnesota is the early favorite with a -2.5 point spread.

This press release was produced by purplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.