Cincinnati
Bengals
9-5
27
FINAL
25
Minnesota
Vikings
0-14
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 16 matchup, the Cincinnati Bengals narrowly defeated the Minnesota Vikings with a final score of 27-25. With playoff implications on the line, both teams fought hard, but it was the Bengals who managed to hold off a late rally from Minnesota to secure the victory.
Cincinnati's offense was powered by a standout performance from running back Chase Brown, who rushed for 119 yards and played a crucial role in the team's ground game. Meanwhile, Vikings quarterback Jeff Meredith showcased his skills by throwing for 329 yards and three touchdowns, connecting frequently with star receiver Justin Jefferson, who amassed 93 receiving yards. Despite Meredith's impressive stats, it wasn't enough to clinch the win.
Defensively, Kris Jenkins Jr. led the Bengals with eight total tackles, providing a steady presence that helped stifle the Vikings' offensive momentum. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Cincinnati's defense forced a critical turnover, allowing the Bengals to regain control and seal their victory. Minnesota's Yaya Diaby contributed with 1.5 sacks, but the Bengals' resilience ultimately proved decisive in this tightly contested battle.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Meredith | QB | 45 | 30 | 67% | 329 | 3 | 0 | 110.3 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 29 | 15 | 52% | 131 | 1 | 0 | 75.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Brown | HB | 16 | 119 | 7.4 | 78 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 14 | 63 | 4.5 | 21 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 9 | 43 | 4.8 | 19 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Tahj Brooks | HB | 5 | 23 | 4.6 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Joe Burrow | QB | 5 | 15 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jeff Meredith | QB | 5 | 8 | 1.6 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Maurice Shields | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 8 | 93 | 11.6 | 19 | 3 | 29 | 0 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | WR | 7 | 85 | 12.1 | 26 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jordan Addison | WR | 5 | 79 | 15.8 | 17 | 0 | 27 | 1 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 6 | 69 | 11.5 | 17 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 4 | 46 | 11.5 | 7 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Tee Higgins | WR | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 11 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Josh Oliver | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Colbie Young | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barrett Carter | MIKE | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Jenkins Jr | DT | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | WILL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cedric Johnson | REDG | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dax Hill | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cashius Howell | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Cook | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Turner II | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Josh Metellus | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| K.J. Britt | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tacario Davis | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Battle | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domonique Orange | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ivan Pace Jr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen McLeod | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PJ Jules | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daijahn Anthony | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | K | 1 | 2 | 2 | 30 |
| Evan McPherson | K | 2 | 2 | 3 | 50 |

