MINNEAPOLIS _ The Vikings clinched the NFC North title on Sunday. They built a big enough lead to create a memorable moment for Teddy Bridgewater. And a week after a loss to the Carolina Panthers, they turned in a defensive performance that should assuage any lingering fears.
In a victory that was as important as it was euphoric, the Vikings beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-7, drubbing a dilapidated and disinterested Bengals team to improve to 11-3. Case Keenum completed 20 of his 23 passes and threw a pair of touchdowns before giving way to Teddy Bridgewater, who played for the first time since returning from the left knee injury he suffered on Aug. 30, 2016.
The Vikings' most dominant win of the season saw Mike Zimmer's current defense turn in a commanding performance against his former employer, The Vikings prevented the Bengals from making a first down through the first quarter, sacked Andy Dalton three times and scored their first defensive touchdown of the season when Eric Kendricks picked off a pass Dalton threw right at him and returned it 31 yards for a touchdown.
Cincinnati gained just 161 yards for the day. Dalton threw two picks _ former Bengals cornerback Terence Newman posted the second one _ and the Bengals went just 1-for-13 on third downs.
The NFC North title, the Vikings' second in three years, means they'll open the postseason at home. They will head to Green Bay on Saturday to face a Packers team that might not have much to play for after losing at Carolina in Aaron Rodgers' return, and they'll finish the regular season at home against Chicago on Dec. 30.
After the Vikings built a 34-0 lead, it appeared they might be in line for their first shutout since Dec. 5, 1993. That's when they turned things over to their backup quarterback, inviting what might have been the loudest roar of the season at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Bridgewater made a cross sign, exchanged handshakes with several teammates and stepped into a game for the first time since Aug. 28, 2016, to roars so loud the quarterback had to cup his hands over his ears to hear the play call in his helmet. As the U.S. Bank Stadium crowd reached full volume, Keenum watched on the sideline with a wide smile, exhorting fans to get even louder.
The quarterback's first pass took a pinch of exuberance out of the moment. After two handoffs, he danced in the pocket on third down and threw a pass that went off Jerick McKinnon's hands. Safety Shaun Williams intercepted the pass and returned it to the Vikings' 23, marking the first time the Bengals had advanced past the Vikings' 43 all day, and Giovani Bernard's two-yard TD run put Cincinnati on the board.
Bridgewater's second pass of the day was dropped by Michael Floyd, and the quarterback finished with a passer rating of 0.0. His interception was one of the Vikings' few blemishes of the day, along with three penalties on the offensive line and two more holding calls on David Morgan and Jarius Wright.
The quarterback's return, though, put a capstone on a day that Vikings fans aren't likely to forget any time soon.
