Bengals: 6 star performances from overtime win vs. Vikings in Week 1

The Cincinnati Bengals took down the Minnesota Vikings in their first game of the 2021 season and boy, was it a fun one or what? Not only did the Bengals win 27-24 in overtime but they mostly looked good doing it.

Yes, there were some negatives from this game, but let’s not focus too much on that. This is meant to be a positive piece celebrating the win. We’ll harp on Zac Taylor’s dumb decision on another day.

For now, let’s take a look at six Bengals who stole the show with their Week 1 performances.

6. Jessie Bates

Expect to see Jessie Bates on this list each and every week. He’s a star safety in the league and why the Bengals haven’t extended him yet is beyond me.

Putting that aside, though, Bates had arguably the biggest and most important play on defense in the season opening win. During overtime when it looked like the Vikings were going to kick the game-winning field goal and win the game, Bates stripped the ball out of Dalvin Cook’s hands and the Bengals recovered.

From there, we know what happened.

The Bengals might not win this game without Bates’ clutch ability to pry the ball out of Cook’s hands. Thanks again, Bates!

5. Joe Burrow

It was great to see Joe Burrow back on the field and even better to see him playing like the quarterback Cincinnati expected when they took him No. 1 overall a year ago.

While he had his ups and down, Burrow did what he could to keep his team in this game. He finished his second-ever season-opener going 20-of-27 with 261 yards and two touchdowns and answering the call when it came down to him throwing the ball in overtime.

Burrow’s offensive line didn’t play great and allowed him to get sacked five times but he was certainly a star in spite of that. This was as good of a performance as fans could have hoped for from Burrow.

4. Joe Mixon

Let’s stick with the name Joe here, shall we?

After only starting six games last year, Joe Mixon proved he hadn’t lost a step in his first game back in action. The Bengals running back carried the ball 29 times for 127 yards and a touchdown while hauling in another four catches for 23 yards.

Mixon ran like he was angry and that’s exactly what fans wanted to see and what this offense needed. He’s always been a key part in this offense and that looks to still be the case with what he was able to do against the Vikings on Sunday. He was the best running back in the game and that’s saying something considering who the running back on the other team is.

3. Larry Ogunjobi

The Bengals made sure to upgrade their defensive line this offseason and Larry Ogunjobi was one of those offseason additions. He was certainly worth the money and was a major playmaker in this game.

Ogunjobi finished his first game in a Bengals uniform with six tackles (two for loss) and a sack and was an absolute monster. This is only the beginning of what’s to come from Ogunjobi and it was clear as day that the Bengals D-line was much improved from a year ago.

2. Ja’Marr Chase

It’s been a rollercoaster of an offseason for Ja’Marr Chase and some of that isn’t his fault. There was a lot of scrutiny for the Bengals even taking him with the fifth overall pick and that decision didn’t look any better with him dropping five of six balls thrown his way during the preseason.

Well, it turns out that the preseason games don’t count for a reason. Chase was on fire against the Vikings secondary in his first glimpse of true NFL action, grabbing five catches for 101 yards and a touchdown.

Chase silenced the critics in his first game and here’s to hoping he can keep the chains moving in the other 16 games this year.

1. Evan McPherson

How could the rookie kicker not be No. 1 on this list?

While he didn’t have the stats that Chase has, he had something bigger than that — The game-winning field goal that allowed the Bengals to start 1-0 for the first time since 2018.

McPherson went a perfect 2-for-2 in field goals, including the one he knocked through as overtime was coming to an end. He also converted on all three extra points that were asked of him.

Some might have thought it was silly to spend a fifth-round pick on a kicker but McPherson — who was the only kicker drafted this year — proved that opinion is silly. He is going to be a big-time weapon for the Cincinnati Bengals this year and he showcased that in Week 1.

These six Bengals stole the show in the first game of the 2021 season and we’re looking forward to seeing what they do as the season continues on.