But when most of us went to bed Saturday night, there was a lot of doubt surrounding whether or not Wentz’ blindside would be protected by Christian Darrisaw, who did not sound confident about making his 2025 debut earlier in the week, following season-ending surgery after week 8 of 2024.

Thankfully, Darrisaw did suit up, as did Harrison Smith and Andrew Van Ginkel, on the defensive side. And without a doubt the impact of all three were felt immediately, as the Minnesota Vikings jumped out to a 31-point lead over a wounded Bengals squad playing without star QB Joe Burrow.

Key Takeaways: Minnesota Vikings DOMINATE Cincinnati Bengals

When the dust settled at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Vikings held a 48-10 lead on the scoreboard and many of the concerns that fans/media had coming in, were wiped away with the blowout victory.

Wentz made the Vikings offense look like a well-oiled machine, compared to what we saw with McCarthy, and Darrisaw’s talent was on display too, especially in the run game.

But the MN Vikings second victory of the season came on the back of Minnesota’s defense, which scored two touchdowns and forced FIVE total Cincinnati turnovers. So as we layout the biggest Vikings takeaways from Sunday’s game, come on that side of the football.

1.) MN Vikings defense throws out “bend but don’t break”

With a new quarterback taking over and the season prematurely teetering on the verge of a spiral, head coach Kevin O’Connell needed a big week out of his right-hand man and defensive coordinator, Brian Flores.

The defense responded to their week 3 challenge, in kind, with arguably the most dominant performance of Flores’ two-plus year tenure, holding the Bengals offense to just three points through the first half, before they added a touchdown in garbage time.

CRIBBED.@rodgers_isaiah

📺: @NFLonCBS pic.twitter.com/VRusxti1cT

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 21, 2025

Even better, the biggest contributor on the defensive side came in the form of Isaiah Rodgers, who was handpicked as a the defensive coordinator this offseason, but who had yet to cement himself as a legitimate NFL starter.

All offseason long, there have been heavy questions surrounding the Minnesota Vikings secondary. Harrison Smith isn’t getting any younger, not to mention they let S Cam Bynum, CB Stephon Gilmore and CB Shaq Griffin all walk this offseason, leaving Rodgers as their CB2.

But on Sunday, Flores and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah were very much vindicated when Rodgers returned both an interception (above) and fumble (below) to the house for two defensive Minnesota Vikings touchdowns.

The Vikings defense is going CRAZY 😳
Another fumble scoop and score, 2nd defensive TD of the game 💜🔥#Vikings #NFL #Skol pic.twitter.com/Lzy7IQnAmN

— Aggregate Sports (@AggregateSports) September 21, 2025

Through the first two weeks of the season, the Minnesota Vikings offense deployed a bend but don’t break style that put a lot of stress on them, there offense and the those of us watching the games.

On Sunday, that was out the window and replaced by sheer dominance from the opening whistle until the final buzzer. To go along with their five forced turnovers, Brian Flores’ defense held the Bengals to just 118 yards passing and 53 yards rushing and 171 yards in total and 3-of-13 on 3rd down.

2.) Carson Wentz’ veteran presence was all the Vikings offense needed

It helps when your defense is completely dominant, like the Vikings’ was in week 3. But it was Carson Wentz who lit off the initial fireworks this afternoon.

In his first drive ever as a Viking, Wentz methodically drove Minnesota’s offense down the field, where he capped things off with a touchdown pass to Josh Oliver, to make the game 7-0, purple.

CARSON WENTZ TOUCHDOWN!!!!

📺: #CINvsMIN ao vivo no NFL Game Pass pic.twitter.com/gDDvIYzyjY

— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) September 21, 2025

That early score allowed the 70,000 at U.S. Bank Stadium and millions watching on TV cheer a loud sigh of relief. And from that moment on, the route was on. Wentz went on to complete 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 129.8 QB Rating.

Carson Wentz did on Sunday exactly what the Minnesota Vikings needed from him, and from JJ McCarthy prior to injury, and that’s a game manager. This team was built around a stout defense, uber-talented playmakers, a bulldozing run game and elite play-caller. The QBs job is to drive that Lamborghini in between the lines.

We quickly found out that McCarthy was not yet ready for that responsibility. In week three, Wentz proved he is more than capable. What that means, going forward, we do not know. But for now, Minnesota’s offense looks like it is in pretty good hands with the 32-year-old North Dakota State alum and lifelong Vikings fan.

3.) The Minnesota Vikings need to FEED Jordan Mason (w/Darrisaw back)

Much like the responsibility put on the Minnesota Vikings’ defense this week, newly acquired running back Jordan Mason came in knowing he’d be tasked with shouldering a rushing workload unlike he has seen very often throughout his four-year NFL career.

Just like Brian Flores’ crew, Mason responded with one of the best performances of his career, rushing for 116 yards and 2 touchdowns on just 16 carries (7.3 YPC). Every time he got the football, Mason punished a Bengal defender or two before taking off for a big gain.

JORDAN MASON 4 YARD TOUCHDOWN RUN #skol pic.twitter.com/C0ffiUiTaB

— Jack Delperdang (@jack_delperdang) September 21, 2025

At no time on Sunday did the Vikings’ offense seem like it was in trouble or way behind the sticks. Wentz did a great job in his debut, but he can thank Jordan Mason for making his life easier.

It wasn’t all on Mason, however. When Kevin O’Connell realized Christian Darrisaw would start, he might have ripped out most of the plays on his sheet that had the running back going right. Repeatedly, especially in that first half, the Minnesota Vikings lined up Mason and ran him behind their all-pro caliber left tackle.

And when it ain’t broke, why fix it, right? The Vikings’ success in the run game also took superstar Cincinnati pass rusher, Trey Hendrickson out of the game. He finished with just 1 tackle on the day and ZERO sacks.

Unsurprisingly, Minnesota is nearly a double-digit underdog at home against the Trojans. It’s a reflection on a Golden Gophers offense, which ranks 78th in scoring (28.4 PPG), 73rd in passing (225.8 total ypg) and 114th in rushing (101.4). It’s why we’ll be keeping an eye on both defenses between USC vs Minnesota.

Related: Heisman Watch 2024

Let’s dive into the stats you need to know for Saturday night’s USC Trojans vs Minnesota Gophers matchup. As always, we include additional stats and data as part of our analysis.

18.5% – USC Trojans pressure rate against Power 5 opponents

This isn’t the same laughably bad USC Trojans defense we’ve seen in previous seasons. Lincoln Riley hired D’Anton Lynn as the Trojans defensive coordinator this offseason. That move is proving to be one of the best hires in college football.

Entering college football games today, USC ranks 32nd in yards per game allowed (304.8). They also rank 20th in scoring defense (17 PPG allowed). However, the Trojans’ pass rush often disappears for long stretches of games.

Related: More Stats to Know for USC Trojans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers

Entering Week 6, USC ranks 89th nationally in sack rate (4.63 percent), and they’ve been worse against Power 5 opponents. In three games against LSU, Michigan and Wisconsin, the Trojans managed just 15 pressures against 81 dropbacks. That’s well below the national average, at just 18 percent pressure rate, per Pro Football Focus.

On the other side of this Trojans’ pass rush, however, is a Gophers offensive line that has allowed the ninth-most pressures (44) and seventh-most sacks (eight) among Power 5 teams. In short, this is a matchup of a stoppable force vs movable object could have a major influence on this game which leads us to our next stat.

33.8% – Completion Rate Differential for Minnesota Golden Gophers QB Max Brosmer when pressured, vs clean pocket

It’s been a rough 2024 season for starting quarterback Max Brosmer. The senior signal-caller has completed under 62 percent of his pass attempts in three games this season and he ranks 76th among quarterbacks in yards per attempt (7.1). One of the obvious difference-makers in his performance is facing pressure vs clean pockets and there’s a stark contrast between the two performances.

• Max Brosmer stats vs pressure (PFF): 37.9% completion rate, 5.0 yards per attempt, 1-2 TD-INT, 37.3 NFL QB rating

Related: Minnesota Gophers Football Commits 2025

Among qualified Power 5 quarterbacks, Brosmer ranks 55th in completion rate (37.9 percent) when he is pressured. He also ranks 51st in yards per attempt (5.0), 58th in PFF grade (40.1) and 61st in NFL QB rating (37.3). The issues are even more amplified by Minnesota’s issues upfront, but pressures and sacks are just as much on the quarterback as the offensive line.

• Max Brosmer stats vs clean pocket (PFF): 71.7% completion rate,7.3 yards per attempt, 5-2 TD-INT, 81.9 PFF grade, 98.8 QB rating

When he does have time to throw, Brosmer is accurate and efficient. He boasts the eighth-highest Adjusted Completion rate (83.5 percent) from a clean pocket and his QB rating jumps by 61.5 points when the pocket is clean. That’s what makes this battle of the trenches the biggest X-factor on Saturday for the USC Trojans vs Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Also Read: NFL defense rankings, see where Minnesota Vikings land

5 — TD passes by USC Trojans QB Miller Moss when blitzed.

Under first-year defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman, this Gophers defense knows how to get to the quarterback, sometimes in unconventional ways. Minnesota defensive back Jack Henderson is tied for the team lead in sacks (1.5). Seven Gophers defenders have been credited with at least one sack this year.

Henderson is also tied for the fourth-most pass rush snaps (11) among defensive backs. He’s been sent after the quarterback on 37.9 percent (second-most in FBS) of his snaps on passing downs.

Related: Highest paid college football coaches

• Miller Moss stats vs blitz (PFF): 58.2% completion rate, 7.9 yards per attempt, 5-1 TD-INT, 83.3 PFF grade, 74.5% Adjusted Completion rate, 106.3 NFL QB rating

It makes for a fascinating chess match against this Trojans offense. Miller Moss isn’t being talked about as one of the best quarterbacks in college football, but he is playing well.

Moss ranks 17th among Power 5 quarterbacks in Adjusted Completion rate (74.5 percent) when blitzed. He’s also thrown 5 touchdowns on 55 pass attempts, against the blitz. Of note, Miller Moss boasts the third-highest completion rate (60.9) percent with a 3-1 TD-INT line when pressured this season.

Related: USC Trojans Football Commits 2025

21 – Yards Allowed this Season by Minnesota Golden Gophers CB Ethan Robinson

USC vs Minnesota will play on the Big Ten Network. Thus, there won’t be a primetime audience for the Gophers defense to receive the national attention it deserves. However, one player absolutely worth highlighting before this matchup is Golden Gophers cornerback Ethan Robinson.

Related: Love the USC Trojans? Check Out LAFBNetwork.com

A transfer from Bucknell, the 6-foot defensive back has been outright phenomenal this season. Among starting cornerbacks across the FBS, Robinson has allowed the second-fewest receiving yards (21) across five games. He’s played 131 coverage snaps, allowing the second-lowest reception rate (20 percent), on 10 total targets.

Whether it’s in zone coverage (1 reception on 8 targets), which he plays 60.3 percent of the time, or man coverage (1 reception for 21 yards), Robinson has been a shutdown CB. If Minnesota is going to upset USC on Saturday night, Robinson needs to be elite, which would allow Hetherman to blitz more.