Ben Goessling's Vikings-Bengals preview and prediction: It's Nick Mullens vs. Jake Browning in unexpected QB matchup

Instead of Kirk Cousins and Joe Burrow facing off in a matchup of 2022 playoff teams, it'll be Nick Mullens (the fourth Vikings starting QB of the season) against Jake Browning (the former Vikings practice squad QB) in a game the Vikings and Bengals need to enhance their playoff chances this season. Both teams are 7-6, which puts the Vikings in better position in a mediocre NFC than it does for the Bengals in a stacked AFC, but the urgency could give Saturday a bit of a playoff feel.

Here's a closer look at the matchup between the Vikings and the Bengals:

Mullens takes over at QB: For the first time in franchise history, the Vikings will have four different starting quarterbacks in a season. Mullens will become their fourth on Saturday, after Kevin O'Connell decided to bench Joshua Dobbs in favor of Mullens in the fourth quarter of the Raiders game last Sunday. He might have been in position to take over for Kirk Cousins if not for a back injury that had him on injured reserve when Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon in October; Mullens will make his first start since a game for the Browns in December 2021.

Mullens will be Jefferson's next QB: After a trip to the hospital to rule out broken ribs or internal bleeding following a violent hit from the Raiders defense on Sunday, Justin Jefferson said he's ready to play against the Bengals. Before he left the game in Las Vegas, he caught two passes from Dobbs in his return from his hamstring injury, and said his hamstring felt great while he was on the field. He'll play with Mullens for the first time, as the Vikings hope to return to a game plan that makes the most of Jefferson. The receiver said Wednesday he doesn't anticipate having exactly the same connection with any other quarterback that he's enjoyed with Cousins after four years of practicing and playing together. But Mullens' sense of timing and his experience in the offense could give Jefferson a more familiar feel than he might have had with Dobbs.

Bengals' fronts will test Vikings' protection: Cincinnati defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo has been among the early adopters of the five-man fronts and simulated pressures the Vikings use frequently under Brian Flores. The Bengals send extra pressure only 22% of the time, but Anarumo will use the threat of pressure to test the Vikings' protection unit, which will be without right tackle Brian O'Neill and running back Alexander Mattison. The fact the Vikings have practiced against similar looks since training camp could help them adjust to what the Bengals might try.

Browning faces his first team: The Vikings signed Browning as an undrafted free agent in 2019, and kept him on their roster through the 2021 training camp, where he starred in the team's night practice as the only quarterback who wasn't in COVID protocol. Former coach Mike Zimmer pushed to keep Browning on the roster in 2021, but the Vikings kept third-round pick Kellen Mond instead. Browning has been in Cincinnati since then, and has given the Bengals a jolt after replacing the injured Burrow. The Bengals will ask him to get the ball quickly to their talented skill position players, and the Vikings, who have defended screens well for much of the season, will have to be sharp against Cincinnati's menu of screens and quick passes.

Containing Chase will be a challenge: Bengals receiver Ja'Marr Chase introduced Jefferson to the Griddy dance that Jefferson made famous in the NFL, and Chase followed his close friend and former LSU teammate into the first round of the draft a year after Jefferson. He's caught 89 passes for 1,092 yards this season, and represents one of the toughest assignments the Vikings cornerbacks have faced this season. Chase posted 101 yards in the first game of his career against the Vikings, and both he and Jefferson figure to bring plenty of competitive juice to this one.

Vikings

Out: RB Alexander Mattison (ankle), RT Brian O'Neill (ankle), WR Jalen Nailor (concussion)

Questionable: WR Justin Jefferson (chest), G Chris Reed (illness)

Bengals

Questionable: LB Joe Bachie (oblique)

Mullens' first start will come with David Quessenberry starting for O'Neill at right tackle, and Ty Chandler as the Vikings' main running back with Mattison out. The Vikings will have to handle a Bengals pass rush led by Trey Hendrickson's 13½ sacks, while trying to keep up with a Cincinnati offense stocked with skill position players. This one could come down to which backup quarterback can do a better job of handling a tricky set of pressure packages, which is where the Vikings might have an edge with Flores' defense against Browning. Prediction: Vikings 27, Bengals 24