There is no way to frame the Cincinnati Bengals' 48-10 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings as anything other than a complete and utter debacle.
As one of the biggest Who Dey Heads on the Internet, it was admittedly difficult to find any winners or silver linings from Cincinnati's side of this blowout in Minneapolis. It looked like Joe Burrow's injury doomed the Bengals' entire 2025 season.
That said, the outcome could've been a little less ugly if the Vikings took their foot off the gas some. One Bengals franchise legend was in serious pain as Minnesota kept pouring it on en route to a decisive 38-point triumph.
Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson laments Vikings running up score in Bengals' ugly loss
Wide receiver is the one position Cincinnati hasn't been left wanting for thus far in the 21st century. A big reason for that is Chad Johnson. The artist also known as "Ochocinco" was a straight-up superstar back in his heyday.
However, even Johnson's best efforts and a prime version of himself, combined with the Bengals' incumbent dynamic duo of Ja'Marr chase and Tee Higgins, couldn't have done anything to rescue Cincinnati from embarrassment in Week 3. Hence Johnson's reaction to the on-field devastation.
Vikings this is totally unnecessary & unsportsmanlike conduct in a sense❕
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) September 21, 2025
I agree, Chad. Why did the Vikings feel compelled to keep trying to move the ball at all once the Bengals had spotted them two defensive touchdowns and a 34-3 halftime lead? I guess we'll never know.
Well, I assume in part because the man filling in for Burrow, Jake Browning, defeated Minnesota in a 27-24 overtime thriller back in 2023. Browning's performance during that stretch, when he led the Bengals to a 4-3 record and kept their playoff hopes alive, feels like a distant memory now.
I mean yes, Browning's brief starting stint was almost two full calendar years ago. The most demoralizing part about the many disconcerting facets of Week 3's brutal defeat, though, is how hapless Browning looked en route to an outing where he posted a 63.8 passer rating.
It doesn't help whatsoever that Cincinnati or Zac Taylor can cook up anything resembling a competent rushing attack to complement Browning. Putting that aside, it dismays me and I'm sure the rest of the Bengals fan base that a beloved former player like Johnson feels compelled to air his grievances on social media.
Too soon, Chad. I'm still recovering from this loss. And I will be for several days hereafter. At least each game counts the same during a season, and the hope is the Bengals can rally back to play better on Monday Night Football in Denver in Week 4.
Otherwise, Johnson will be right back on Elon Musk's X/Twitter to remind us all just how bad things look at the minute.