The Minnesota Vikings dominated the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, cruising to a 48-10 victory at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Carson Wentz stepped in seamlessly for the injured J.J. McCarthy, completing 14 of 20 passes for 173 yards and two touchdowns. Unlike Jake Browning, who struggled when replacing the sidelined Joe Burrow, Wentz handled the role flawlessly and avoided costly mistakes.
Wentz and the Vikings were able to avoid costly mistakes, unlike the Bengals, who had three fumbles and allowed four sacks in a disastrous performance.
Vikings’ Kevin O’Connell talks Carson Wentz
If Minnesota need to ride Wentz to allow McCarthy to feel 100 percent, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell is ready to do so because of all the traits that he brings to the table.
“I’ve always been a fan of Carson’s, going back a long way,” O’Connell said on Tuesday’s edition of “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I was in the division coaching in Washington as a quarterback coach and coordinator when he was playing at an unbelievable level for the Eagles. And then people forget how good of a year he had in Indianapolis. So I’ve always just known about the player, going back to evaluating him coming out of North Dakota State.
“Big, strong, smart. I think the game makes sense to him in a lot of ways, both pre- and post-snap. So I thought it would be a big thing for our team to add that experience: A former second pick in the draft, a guy that’s been on this quarterback journey at different stops in different capacities.”
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O’Connell raves about what Wentz can do on the field, he points out the veteran is also sliding into a mentor role. McCarthy is the future in Minnesota and Wentz is doing everything to help out the second-year quarterback.
“[He] has a unique perspective, I think now, that not only can help our young quarterback but can really help our whole team. So that was really the hope of bringing Carson to Minnesota. And then on top of that, once he arrived here, you start seeing a guy that this guy can do a lot of things at a really high level at the quarterback position.”
