Rare.

Crucial.

Backup.

You don't often see those three words used together. However, when the Minnesota Vikings (1-1) host the Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) at noon (CT) Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium, those same words serve as perfect descriptors for the Week 3 matchup between the two teams.

Both the Vikings and the Bengals will rely on their backup quarterbacks this week after seeing their starters go down with injuries. For Minnesota, Carson Wentz will fill in for J.J. McCarthy after he suffered a high-ankle sprain during Minnesota's 22-6 loss to Atlanta on Sunday Night Football. Meanwhile, for Cincinnati, Jake Browning was called in to replace Joe Burrow, who left the Bengals game against Jacksonville in the first half with a turf toe injury and didn't return. Burrow will undergo surgery and miss at least three months.

While the sight of two NFL backup quarterbacks playing against each other is a common occurrence, what's rare is how early the situation is presenting itself during the regular season. Sunday's matchup between Wentz and Browning will be the first time in 27 years where two quarterbacks will face each other in Week 3 after not starting either of the first two weeks of their team's seasons.

Strangely enough, that last instance (in fact, nearly to the day) also featured Minnesota. After Vikings starter Brad Johnson broke his leg in Week 2 of the 1998 season, Randall Cunningham made his first start of the season. On the other side, Detroit named Charlie Batch its starting QB after Scott Mitchell was benched following the team's 0-2 start. Cunningham and the Vikings won the game 29-6, earning Minnesota its third of a franchise-record 15 victories that season.

Wentz – who was a 5-year-old Vikings fan growing up in North Dakota at that time – will also set some individual history entering Sunday. According to ESPN's Bill Barnwell, Wentz will become the first quarterback in league history to start at least one game for six different franchises in consecutive seasons (Eagles in 2020, Colts in 2021, Commanders in 2022, Rams in 2023, Chiefs in 2024 and Vikings in 2025).

Browning also has ties to the Vikings, signing with Minnesota as an undrafted free agent in 2019 and was a part of the organization's practice squad for two seasons before being waived in 2021. Browning then signed with Cincinnati and will make his eighth career start Sunday (he went 4-3 in seven starts in 2023 when Burrow was lost for the season, including defeating the Vikings 27-24 in overtime in Week 15).

Let's see who the experts are picking to win the game:

Vikings 27, Bengals 17 – Pete Prisco, CBS Sports

Browning came off the bench in the Bengals victory over the Jaguars and led them to victory late. But I think Wentz at home will be the one who plays the better of the two to win it.

Bengals 24, Vikings 21 – Bill Bender, Sporting News

LSU teammates Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson will make plays, but it will come down to who wins the turnover battle.

Bengals 34, Vikings 31 – Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News

Browning should be motivated to attack the Vikings turnover-oriented defense who can't handle all of his key weapons. Carson Wentz, who is replacing the injured J.J. McCarthy, will have trouble answering enough in a shootout.

4 of 5 experts pick the Vikings, NFL.com

Analysis from NFL.com's Tom Blair:

Evaluating an NFL game when the QB1s aren't in line to play is like trying to pick winners in a street race between two sensible minivans. And as someone who has logged many miles in sensible minivans, I find this kind of comforting. We're not worrying about high performance and thrilling speeds anymore; now we want to know who can corner safely and brake with prudence while getting solid mileage. Jake Browning and [Bengals Head Coach] Zac Taylor have made sweet music solid easy-listening jams before, occasionally even hitting some high notes, as they did against this very team in December 2023, when they survived a surprisingly exciting battle with – yep, you know it – a journeyman QB propped up by Kevin O'Connell's coaching. On Sunday, the role that Nick Mullens occupied two years ago will be played by Carson Wentz – and, crucially, that is not the only difference for the Vikings, who've had to contend with the absences of several key figures on both sides of the ball and will at least be without Aaron Jones, Sr., and suspended WR Jordan Addison. Browning, meanwhile, still gets to work with Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. While Brian Flores' defense must always be feared, Minnesota hasn't had to face a receiving corps like Cincinnati's yet this year and did just yield plenty of yardage to dynamic back Bijan Robinson. I won't be surprised if O'Connell makes Wentz look pretty good and the Bengals defense makes Wentz look even better, but I have slightly more trust right now in the Browning-Taylor combo.

2 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, Bleacher Report

Bleacher Report analysis by Kris Knox:

In a battle between terrific skill groups and backup quarterbacks, I'm inclined to favor the home team. While I actually trust Jake Browning more than Carson Wentz at this point, I also have no faith in Zac Taylor's desire to establish the run. The best way to attack Brian Flores' defense is on the ground, and I expect the Bengals to coach their way out of a winnable road game.

Bleacher Report analysis by Gary Davenport:

This has a "Week 3's zaniest, highlight-filled, Giants/Cowboys last week game" vibe written all over it. Settle in with some nachos and a beverage and take the points.

3 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, The MMQB

7 of 10 experts (1 of 11 total had not submitted) pick the Vikings, ESPN

4 of 7 experts pick the Vikings, The Athletic

Thought from The Athletic's J.J. Bailey:

On one hand, it will never cease to amaze how steep the drop-off is from starter to backup quarterback in the NFL. On the other, the degree to which Cincinnati embraces its "break glass" protocol is truly admirable. Joe Burrow is out. They say for three months, but none of the 25 players who had the surgery he's having returned the same season, and five of the 25 never returned at all. It is definitively Jake Browning Time, and the assignment for Browning is elegantly simple: You will put the ball into the hands of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. There are no qualifiers to that. The how doesn't matter. The stats do not matter. Things like sound strategy, Browning's feelings or watchability are luxuries Cincinnati can no longer afford, and they know it. It's feed the big dogs or die trying.

This is why Chase and Higgins accounted for two-thirds of Browning's yards and more than half of his targets and completions. Incompletion? Who cares? Go again. Interception? Not a problem, do it again. Another interception? Psssh. Let it fly. Another? *taps sign* Chase and Higgins are two of the hardest takedowns in the NFL. The more they have the ball, the more chances they have to YAC their way to the end zone. Browning was in for 2.5 quarters, had three picks and a passer rating of 69.9. Higgins and Chase had 107 YAC, a pair of TDs and the Bengals won the game. Brian Flores will surely try to take them away, but I'm not sure he comprehends the lengths to which Browning and Cincinnati are willing to debase themselves to achieve their goal.

For their part, the Vikings surely don't want their franchise quarterback playing on a bum ankle after missing a year with a shredded knee, but the alternative is Carson Wentz, who has attempted 43 NFL passes since 2023. He also won't have Aaron Jones in the backfield, so this could get very strange very quickly. Worth a watch!

5 of 6 experts pick the Vikings, USA Today

Series Notes

Although Cincinnati leads the all-time series between the two teams 8-7, Minnesota is unbeaten at home with a 6-0 record. The Bengals join Baltimore (0-2) and Houston (0-3) as the only current NFL teams without a win in Minnesota.

The Vikings have held the Bengals to 21 or fewer points in each of their home victories, including the past three matchups where Minnesota allowed fewer than 10 points each time (24-3 in 1998; 30-10 in 2009; 34-7 in 2017). Offensively, Minnesota has scored at least 20 points in all six home meetings, including three games with 30 or more points (42 points in 1977, plus the two games previously mentioned in 2009 and 2017).

The last two contests between Minnesota and Cincinnati have been similar: 27-24 victories in overtime by the Bengals at home (Week 1 of the 2021 season and Week 15 of the 2023 season).

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