Cincinnati Bengals fans have been waiting patiently for the 2021 NFL season. Last year, Bengals fans had to watch the future of their franchise go down with an ugly season ending injury.
This season fans will be permitted to attend games again, and the excitement in Cincinnati is real.
Joe Burrow has conquered his recovery and rehab, and he is hungry as ever to get back on the field.
Cincinnati’s home opener week one against the Minnesota Vikings should be the return of Joe Burrow, if all goes according to plan.
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The Vikings have been an up and down team for the better part of the past few seasons. They’ve made the playoffs in two seasons with Kirk Cousins behind center, yet last season they started the season quite slow and struggled to play the consistent football needed to bounce back.
The Vikings matchup in week one will also see Joe Burrow meet up with his old friend, Justin Jefferson.
For #LSU fans, week one should be exciting.
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase will be meeting old friend Justin Jefferson as the Bengals take on the Vikings in week one.
— Corey Seeley (@coreyalex) May 12, 2021
Jefferson was not only the best rookie wide receiver in the NFL last season, he was one of the best overall receivers in the entire league.
All eyes will be on Joe Burrow in this matchup, but we should also keep a close eye on how the Bengals utilize rookie wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase in his first career NFL game.
The Bengals wide receiver corps should have success against a struggling Minnesota secondary, and this is one of the many reasons why I think Burrow could have a nice day in his return.
A week one win would go a long way for this young Bengals team, as confidence will be crucially important early on. The Bengals schedule isn’t particularly favorable as betting odds don’t have them favored in many matchups as of right now.
It’s tough to call a week one game a must win game, but a win here would certainly be the start Joe Burrow and the Bengals will need this season.