Cincinnati Bengals: MVPs from Week 1 overtime win vs. Vikings

The Cincinnati Bengals defeated the Minnesota Vikings in a thrilling Week 1 matchup 27-24 that had to be decided in overtime. Evan McPherson connected on a 38-yard field goal as time expired to move the Bengals to 1-0 on the season.

Here are your offensive, defensive, rookie, and special teams MVPs from the game.

Bengals Weekly MVP’s

Offense:  Joe Burrow 

In his first game back since Week 11 of last season, coming off a torn ACL and MCL, Joe Burrow looked like he didn’t miss a beat after getting his feet wet during the first quarter. However, once the second quarter started for the Bengals, Burrow didn’t look back, completing crisp, accurate passes down the field, leading to a Tee Higgins touchdown to tie the Vikings.

Late second quarter, the Bengals were in a position to fight for a field goal to go up heading into the half, but Burrow had other plans connecting on a 50-yard touchdown pass to rookie Ja’Marr Chase to electrify the crowd.

Burrow remained poised and didn’t flinch in some of the most significant moments with the offensive line still not holding up, its end of the bargain. On 4th and inches late in overtime, Burrow, instead of QB sneaking it or handing it off to Mixon, decided to play-action pass it with a clutch teardrop right over the defense into C.J. Uzomah’s hands, which led to a chip shot game-winning field goal for Evan McPherson.

Burrow ended the game with a stat line of 20 completions on 27 attempts, 261 passing yards, and two passing touchdowns with a 128.8 QB rating. Joe Burrow is this week’s offensive MVP.

Weekly MVP’s 

Defense: Germaine Pratt 

This one could have gone in many different directions because the defense had several players who had great games like Jessie Bates, Trey Hendrickson, B.J. Hill, Larry Ogunjobi, and Chidobe Awuzie but the player in my eyes who stood out the most and made the biggest play of the entire game was linebacker Germaine Pratt.

Pratt played the best game of his young career so far with the Bengals in this one. Not only did he tie for the team lead in tackles with six, but he also assisted on two and was the key player who forced the fumble late in overtime when the game seemed nearly wrapped up against one of the best running backs in the league in Dalvin Cook. He also was the one to recover the fumble after he forced it, which got the Bengals the ball right at midfield with a perfect opportunity to win the game, which they did.

You can see the growth from last season and his rookie season with Pratt. He looks like a completely different player on the defense with his speed, vision, ability to tackle, and instincts are a lot quicker as he’s reacting to the ball better than he ever has. Germaine Pratt is this week’s defensive MVP.

Weekly MVP’s 

Rookie: Ja’Marr Chase 

There was a lot of pressure and expectations entering this debut game for Ja’Marr Chase. Over the last several weeks and through preseason Chase has been scrutinized and overly criticized for his minor struggles with his focus on catching the football.

Through the preseason, he had multiple drops that got blown out of proportion. Then Pro Football Focus released an extremely inaccurate piece and took his words out of context, which led to much media coverage and more criticism towards Chase.

To say he proved all the doubters wrong is an understatement. After snagging his first two targets, one leading to a third-down conversion, he ended the half hauling in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Joe Burrow after blowing by Bashaud Breeland in coverage, which led to a celebratory griddy touchdown dance for his first career score.

Chase ended the game with five catches, 101 receiving yards, and a touchdown to mark off his NFL debut and quieting all the doubters out there. It will be exciting to see where Chase goes from here trying to build off of this game.

Having a high confidence level is vital for the young receiver, and that is precisely how it seems after this one. Ja’Marr Chase is your rookie MVP in Week 1.

Weekly MVP’s 

Special Teams: Evan McPherson

I believe everybody saw this one coming. Rookie kicker Evan McPherson never seems phased by the moment.

When momentum shifted after the Bengals let up a touchdown to only lead by one score, he drilled a 53-yard field goal to put it back to two possessions, and there was never a doubt on any of the extra point attempts.

It is just very pleasing to feel a confidence level in your kicker because, in recent years, Bengals fans have not had that. Dating back to last year on Week 1, the Bengals lost a game against the Chargers in a back and forth battle after Randy Bullock shanked a mid-30-yard attempt that lost Cincinnati the game.

So flashback up to this year, and being in a similar situation, it had to be nice to feel comfortable with who was kicking.

With five seconds left in overtime in a 24-24 tie game, McPherson was called upon to attempt the game-winning 38-yard field goal. After being iced once, the confidence level never left his mind as he drilled the next one as time expired, leading to the Bengals’ first victory of the season. Rookie Evan McPherson is this week’s special teams MVP.

There you have it, Bengals fans! Your Week 1 MVPs.

Who would be your MVPs?