Week 15 of the 2023 NFL season certainly got off to an explosive start on Thursday Night Football, and the Cincinnati Bengals will look to make their mark when they take on the Minnesota Vikings for the first Saturday game of the week. With kickoff quickly approaching, it's time for us to lay out our Bengals Week 15 predictions.
The 2023 campaign certainly hasn't gone the way the Bengals were expecting it to go, as they have a 7-6 record and are on the outside looking in of the AFC playoff picture. Of course, that is largely due to star quarterback Joe Burrow suffering a season-ending wrist injury back in Week 11, which has forced the Bengals to turn things over to Jake Browning.
While they were seemingly dead in the water, two straight victories have revitalized the Bengals, and they could show they are a serious playoff contender with a big victory over the Vikings, who need a win just as badly as Cincy does. It's certainly not the matchup the NFL was expecting just a few weeks ago, but there's a ton on the line for both sides, so let's jump into the predictions for the Bengals.
Bengals DEs Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard will combine for 3 sacks
The Bengals defense has excelled at employing a “bend don't break” strategy this season (as they have in seasons past), and if they are going to find their way into the postseason, they are going to have to support their offense throughout the remainder of the campaign. Luckily, they have a pretty decent matchup on their hands in Week 15 against a beat up Vikings offense.
Minnesota is also without their starting quarterback after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in Week 8. Nick Mullens will get the start in Week 15, and that means that star pass rushers Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard could have a field day in this one. Mullens is the Vikings fourth starting quarterback of the season, and there's not much reason to believe he will have a big day against Cincinnati.
The Bengals defense is at their best when Hendrickson and Hubbard are creating pressure on opposing quarterbacks, and that should be precisely what happens in this game. The dominant defensive line duo will make Mullens uncomfortable all day long, and they will combine for three sacks on the day when all is said and done.
Bengals QB Jake Browning will throw for 275+ yards for the third straight game
This contest serves as a bit of a revenge game for Browning, who latched on with the Vikings after going undrafted in the 2019 NFL Draft. Browning bounced back and forth from the practice squad before the Bengals scooped him up in 2021, but this stretch has been the first time in his career where he has played consistent football in the NFL.
It's safe to say that things have gone better than expected in the wake of Burrow's injury. Browning struggled initially after replacing Burrow against the Baltimore Ravens and then the ensuing week against the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he's been on fire since then. Browning led an upset victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then dealt the Indianapolis Colts a big blow with a 34-14 victory last week.
The Vikings defense has been solid throughout the year, but they don't have the secondary personnel to match up with Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. Browning has thrown for 354 and 275 yards over his past two games, and that's a total he will hit again in this big game against Minnesota.
The Bengals will pick up a 31-23 victory over the Vikings
The AFC playoff picture is very crowded, as the Bengals are one of six teams with a 7-6 record currently. If they want to stand out from the pack, a win over the Vikings would go a long way. It may be a bit of a difficult task, but at the end of the day, Cincinnati will do what they have to walk away with a win over Minnesota.
Browning will have another big day at the office, as he will throw a pair of touchdowns and sneak in another one, with Joe Mixon taking home the other score on the ground. Hendrickson and Hubbard will lead the charge on defense to keep Mullens uncomfortable, but he has a lot of success hooking up with Justin Jefferson, who goes for 153 yards and a score.
The Bengals will pull away late in this game, as they enter the fourth quarter down 20-17, but end up scoring a pair of touchdowns to put the Vikings away. A stalled late drive forces Minnesota to settle for a field goal and hope for an onside kick recovery, but that fails, and Cincy will send the home crowd happy with their eighth victory of the year.
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