Vikes CB Rodgers dominates in historic 1st half

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota Vikings gathered periodically around cornerback Isaiah Rodgers on Sunday, waving their arms up and down as if to cool him off with portable fans. They could think of no better way to honor their new teammate, who put on a defensive show for the ages in his team's 48-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

Rodgers, a free agent acquisition in his first NFL season as a full-time starter, became the first player in league history to score two defensive touchdowns and force two fumbles in a game, according to the team. He did all of that in the first half, including an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown and a 67-yard fumble return for his second score. His exploits helped the Vikings take a 34-3 lead by halftime.

"I've never seen nothing like that," Vikings safety Joshua Metellus said. "I'm still lost for words. I don't even know what I've seen, for sure. I kept thinking it was practice. It's like, 'There ain't no way you touching the ball this much.' He kept scoring touchdowns. It was crazy."

Rodgers, a sixth-round pick in the 2020 draft by the Indianapolis Colts, spent three seasons as a reserve before he was suspended in 2023 for violating the NFL's gambling policy. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2024 season, when he was a part-time player with nine starts, before the Vikings signed him in March.

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores had been tracking Rodgers' career since his college days at the University of Massachusetts, and Flores expressed his interest during the Vikings' free agent meetings.

"I can remember vividly the conversation with Brian Flores about him and the vision for the player," coach Kevin O'Connell said, "pairing him with [Byron Murphy Jr.] and what we thought that could be like. I don't want to go through all the time we've been together and those types of names, when [Flores] has got that tone in his voice, when he brings it to me and we collectively then collaborate with the personnel side. But Isaiah's on that list of guys, and the other ones that he's mentioned have turned out pretty darn well here. And then some of the guys that maybe went elsewhere, those guys have showed up well. So, I think it's a matter of Flo's impact and his ability to have vision for players like we've seen here with two free agencies now, where there's been an immediate impact on our team from some of these guys that show up and end up being great Minnesota Vikings for us."

Rodgers had been fairly quiet in his first two games with the Vikings, but he was off to the races Sunday once he grabbed a Jake Browning pass that had been tipped by safety Harrison Smith. Rodgers sprinted down the left sideline for the touchdown with 6:08 remaining in the first quarter.

As his teammates celebrated by cooling him off, Rodgers had a message for them.

"I'm telling everybody on the sideline that I'm not done yet," he said.

Rodgers broke up a pass in the end zone that was intended for Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. Then, Rodgers turned it up to another level on the first play after the two-minute warning. After tight end Noah Fant pulled in a 4-yard reception, Rodgers punched the ball out of Fant's hands. Rodgers went to the ground to recover the fumble, stood up and ran 67 yards for his second score.

He forced another fumble on the Bengals' next possession, this time punching the ball out of receiver Ja'Marr Chase's hands. Cornerback Jeff Okudah recovered at the Vikings' 48-yard line, and they soon turned that into Jordan Mason's 5-yard touchdown run.

"I just knew," Rodgers said, "that once I finally got my shot, whether it was Year 6, Year 10, that my time would come. I knew I was going to be the best Isaiah Rodgers I could be. But I've just got to continue. I feel like today wouldn't matter if I don't respond next week and continue to keep going."

For the Bengals, the 38-point margin of defeat was the largest in team history.

"Overall," Bengals center Ted Karras said, "disappointed that we got ran out of Minnesota."

There were plenty of reasons. Mason rushed for 116 yards, and quarterback Carson Wentz showed he can run the offense after signing with the team less than a month ago. None could top Rodgers' performance, however.

"I was saying all week that I had a message to prove," Rodgers said. "I was saying that I wanted to play better and I just wanted to showcase who Isaiah Rodgers is and who Isaiah Rodgers can be."