Vikings crush Bengals 48-10 after historic day for Isaiah Rodgers

Isaiah Rodgers leads Vikings to 48-10 win over Bengals

Vikings players Isaiah Rodgers, Christian Darrisaw, Harrison Smith, Jonathan Greenard, Justin Jefferson and Josh Metellus react from the locker room after Sunday's 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings are 2-1 heading to Dublin, Ireland, to face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rodgers had two defensive touchdowns and created three of Minnesota's five forced turnovers on the day.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Vikings had a historic first half in a 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at U.S. Bank Stadium to improve to 2-1 on the season as they head across the pond for two straight international games.

The big play

How it happened:

Already up 7-0 in the first quarter, Isaiah Rodgers intercepted a Jake Browning pass that was deflected by Harrison Smith and returned it 87 yards for a touchdown and 14-0 Vikings lead. It was just the start of a huge half for Rodgers.

"Shout out to Harry. That little deflection made it pop up in my hands. Once the ball is in my hand, my goal is to score. Once I broke the first tackle, it’s six. Just trying to make plays, just love the game and enjoy it," Rodgers said.

Kevin O'Connell reacts after Vikings beat Bengals, 48-10 [FULL]

Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell spoke with reporters after Sunday's 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium to improve to 2-1 on the season. Next up, a date with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, Ireland.

He also forced, recovered and returned a fumble 66 yards for a touchdown, and recovered another fumble as the Bengals had four first half turnovers. Rodgers is the first player in NFL history with a pick-6, a fumble returned for a touchdown and two forced fumbles in one game. He did all that in one half.

"My goodness, what a performance. Not surprised though, that’s a player from the very moment we signed him, I knew he was going to have a monumental impact on our team," Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said.

"Insane man, I’ve never seen anything like that. I’m still lost for words. It was honestly crazy," Vikings safety Josh Metellus said.

The Vikings scored 17 points in the final two minutes of the first half to pull away for a 34-3 lead at the break.

Carson Wentz reacts after Vikings crush Bengals, 48-10 [FULL]

Vikings QB Carson Wentz spoke with reporters on Sunday after getting a 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was his first win in Minnesota.

Carson Wentz’s first Vikings start

What we know:

Carson Wentz grew up a Vikings’ fan in North Dakota. With J.J. McCarthy sidelined due to an ankle injury, Wentz got his first start Sunday with his hometown team. He was 14-of-20 for 173 yards, two touchdowns and didn’t turn the ball over.

The Vikings are planning for McCarthy to travel to Ireland and London for the next two games, but it’s unclear if he’ll be healthy enough to play. He watched Sunday’s game from the sidelines, but didn’t have a brace or boot on his injured ankle.

Defense dominates

Why you should care:

The Vikings’ defense simply overwhelmed Jake Browning and the Bengals. They forced five turnovers, four in the first half, sacked Browning three times and held the Browns to 171 total yards. In addition to Rodgers' big day, Josh Metellus had an interception. Andrew Van Ginkel had two sacks in his return from a concussion, and Austin Keys and Chazz Chambliss each added sacks.

Jordan Mason scores twice

By the numbers:

The Vikings traded for Jordan Mason in the offseason to give depth to the running back room behind Aaron Jones. With Jones on injured reserve, Mason got the start Sunday. He had 16 carries for 116 yards and two touchdowns. His second score gave the Vikings a 41-3 lead in the third quarter.

It was exactly the type of game the Vikings needed after getting blown out 22-6 in their home opener last week.

"It was not too long ago we were in this very room and didn’t have a very good taste in our mouth. The NFL is about facing adversity head-on, sometimes it’s just a reality check on figuring out exactly who you want to be as a team," O'Connell said.

What's next:

The Vikings travel to Dublin, Ireland to face Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.