Vikings Territory: Vikings Have History On Their Side For Week 1 At Bengals

Press release from Vikings Territory:

August 8, 2021

The Minnesota Vikings travel to Cincinnati for a date with the Bengals in Week 1 of the 2021 season, the team’s first Week 1 road game in five years. The last time Minnesota began the season on the road, the Vikings toppled the Tennessee Titans 25-16 led by Shaun Hill at quarterback. The first half of that contest was underwhelming, but a Mike Zimmer-led defense stormed back in the second half.

And Week 1 history is kind to the Vikings. While the 2015 opening game was particularly stinky — it was the inept effort at the San Francisco 49ers — and 2020 at home versus Green Bay stunk, Minnesota is among the NFL’s best to open the season. In fact, since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, the Vikings own the exact same record as the Packers:

Vikings fans routinely rely on cynicism as a coping tool — the team has never won a Super Bowl despite dozens of playoff appearances — but generally speaking, Week 1 is not a fair place to direct that ire.

What’s more, this brand of Vikings under Zimmer performs well against AFC teams. In the seven seasons before Zimmer took over, Minnesota showcased a 12-16 (.429) record versus teams from the AFC — which was 20th-best in the league in the timeframe. With Zimmer forward, the organization markedly improved:

August 7, 2021

The Vikings skipper basically flipped the record around, a sight for sore eyes among those following the team pre-Zimmer.

August 7, 2021

Only one notable omen stands in the way of the Vikings for the September 12th game at Cincinnati. Minnesota has not won at the Bengals in 29 years.

July 18, 2021

In that contest, the Vikings thrashed the Bengals 42-7 behind four touchdown passes from Rich Gannon at Riverfront Stadium. From 1992 on, the Vikings have lost three consecutive games at Cincinnati — 1995, 2005, and 2013. The last time Minnesota won a game at Cincinnati, Brad Johnson and Ed McDaniel were rookies.

Finally, although names were not involved in the trade — it was draft picks only — the Vikings and Bengals essentially swapped Dalvin Cook for Joe Mixon inside of the 2017 NFL Draft. General Manager Rick Spielman moved up seven spots in the 2nd Round of the draft, nabbing Cook for the Vikings. With the 48th overall pick (originally held by Minnesota), the Bengals chose Mixon and then Josh Malone, a 4th-Round sweetener in the deal. Malone currently plays for the New York Jets.

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