In a thrilling game that went to Overtime, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly overcame the Minnesota Vikings by 27-24. The Bengals once again demonstrated the strength and determination that has been pivotal to their recent performances.
Game Details
Date and Time: 16th December, 1:00 PM EST
Location: Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
Final Score
Cincinnati Bengals: 27
Minnesota Vikings: 24
Quarterly Breakdown
Cincinnati Bengals
Q1: 3
Q2: 0
Q3: 0
Q4: 21
Total: 27
Minnesota Vikings
Q1: 7
Q2: 0
Q3: 10
Q4: 7
Total: 24
Game Highlights
Some of the major events of the game included:
- 2:23′ of First Quarter: Ty Chandler ran for 1 yd (Greg Joseph Kick) – Minnesota Vikings.
- 10:46′ of Third Quarter: Jordan Addison caught a 37 yd pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph Kick) – Minnesota Vikings.
- 14:56′ of Fourth Quarter: Tee Higgins caught a 13 yd pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson Kick) – Cincinnati Bengals.
- 7:46′ of Fourth Quarter: Joe Mixon ran for 1 yd (Evan McPherson Kick) – Cincinnati Bengals.
- 3:48′ of Fourth Quarter: Jordan Addison caught a 1 yd pass from Nick Mullens (Greg Joseph Kick) – Minnesota Vikings.
- 0:39′ of Fourth Quarter: Tee Higgins caught a 21 yd pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson Kick) – Cincinnati Bengals.
- 8:41′ of First Quarter: Evan McPherson made a 34 yd Field Goal – Cincinnati Bengals.
- 4:32′ of Third Quarter: Greg Joseph made a 39 yd Field Goal – Minnesota Vikings.
- 3:11′ of Overtime Quarter: Evan McPherson won the game for the Bengals with a 29 yd Field Goal.
Team Performance
Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had a grand total of 22 First Downs with 378 Total Yards. The Bengals gained most of their yards through the air, with QB Jake Browning racking up 298 passing yards. In contrast, the rushing offense contributed just 5 First Downs and 80 rushing yards. The team had a very successful day of key downs with a Third Down Efficiency of 6-13 and a Fourth Down Efficiency of 1-1. The Bengals possessed the ball for a total time of 33:08.
Minnesota Vikings
Final from Cincinnati pic.twitter.com/mpAQmjUOA9
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 16, 2023
Vikings achieved 24 First Downs with 424 Total Yards. Their passing offense got 16 of those First Downs and 281 yards, while the rushing offense contributed 8 First Downs and 143 yards. They had a Third Down Efficiency of 5-12 and failed their only Fourth Down attempt. They kept ball possession for 33:41, slightly more than Cincinnati.
Injury Report
The Bengals have been hard hit by injuries this season, with key players like Joe Bachie, Jackson Carman and Joe Burrow among the stars who missed the game. The Vikings were also without some crucial players including Jalen Nailor, Alexander Mattison, and Kirk Cousins. Both teams will be hoping for swift recoveries with crucial games ahead.
Division Standings
The victory pushes the Bengals to third place in the AFC North Division and sixth place in the AFC Playoff seedings. The Minnesota Vikings remain in second place in the competitive NFC North Division, and sixth place in the NFC rankings.
Upcoming Games
Looking ahead, the Bengals will be taking on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16, in what looks like a pivotal game in the Playoff race. Meanwhile, the Vikings will be facing off against the Detroit Lions in what looks like being a tense encounter.
Conclusion
This overtime thriller was one of the best games of the season. Both teams displayed exceptional fortitude to battle through despite missing several star players. With backup QB Jake Browning playing at a high level, the Bengals will be confident of maintaining their strong form. The Vikings need to bounce back quickly, but if they can produce a similar performance against the Lions, they will have every chance of victory.
