The nation sees Sunday's matchup in Minnesota pitting the 2-0 Bengals against the 1-1 Vikings as a fantasy football fest between the top wide receivers on the planet.

Ja’Marr Chase, the Bengals' All-Pro, has the most yards in the NFL during the last 19 games with 1,899. Justin Jefferson. The Vikings' All-Pro is second with 1,658.

On the other hand, Bengals cornerbacks coach Charles Burks sees it as a trip to the dentist's chair, where Jefferson's credentialed Hall-of-Fame six seasons are shining in his face. For an appointment as elite as this, Burks turns to the philosophy of his mentor.

"When it comes to guys like Ja'Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, the game plan is surrounded around stopping those guys," Burks says. "It doesn't matter if you're talking about the run game, play action, everything that you're doing is surrounded around making sure those guys don't wreck the game. Make somebody else beat you. I learned that early on in my professional career."

(Like in 2023? In that overtime win over the Vikings at Paycor Stadium, Jefferson had 84 yards on seven catches and a long of 19, which you'll take for a guy averaging 95.7 yards per game. He didn't beat them. Neither did rookie Jordan Addison's 111 yards.)

Burks won't have to look far to see that mentor since Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has gone through the same kind of week trying to figure out how to stop Chase.

"The way I see the game is how he taught me to see it that way," Burks says of Flores, the Bill Belichick disciple who once headed up the Dolphins and is in his third season in Minnesota.

In a game where undrafted quarterback Jake Browning makes his eighth NFL start for the Bengals and Miami University's undrafted linebacker Ivan Pace makes his 24^th start for the Vikings, it's a good time to recall that coaches have to climb, too.

Burks went rung-by-rung up the Div. II ladder playing and coaching until after his fifth season as the defensive coordinator at Southeastern Oklahoma State, when his unit finished the 2018 season leading Div. II in pass defense.

Then, out of the clear blue of confetti celebrating the Patriots' Super Bowl victory, Burks got a call from Flores, the New England linebackers coach just named the Dolphins head coach. Following up on a tip from Burks' native Texas, Flores hired him as a coaching assistant after two interviews.

Three years later, Burks came to Cincinnati a few days after the Bengals' Super Bowl appearance. Former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo, impressed with how Burks worked the DBs at the Senior Bowl from the year before, filed his name away and hired him.

Since then, Burks has been entrusted with a pair of second-rounders, Cam Taylor-Britt and DJ Turner, and has transitioned first-round pick Dax Hill from safety to cornerback. Burks got here before all his players in that room, and new defensive coordinator Al Golden, pleased with the development at the position, convinced him to stay.

Four of his cornerbacks, Hill, Taylor-Britt, Turner and Josh Newton, are in Pro Football Focus' top 78 for overall grades at the position.

"(Flores) saw something in me. He gave me a shot," Burks says. "A lot of times in this business, people get opportunities to connect with somebody. Friendship. Families. I had no connections in the NFL. None. Zero. No Div. I experience. The only experience I had was coaching. I am forever grateful he saw the type of person and type of leader I was and gave me a shot."

The shot has led to Sunday's task against Jefferson. Burks watched Flores develop defenses by being open-minded, and it's a good lesson for this week after Friday's injury report has one starter, Taylor Britt (hamstring) doubtful) after he missed Friday's practice, and the third cornerback, Turner (hamstring) questionable after he went limited. Although head coach Zac Taylor is upbeat about him.

"(Flores is) always evolving. That's the beautiful thing about him," Burks says. "He asks, what can my current players do well, and I'll build my system and my identity around that."

PFF not only ranks Hill 13^th among all cornerbacks, but his end-zone interception last week helped the Bengals stay in the game long enough to beat Jacksonville in the last minute. Plus, his 17 tackles lead the Bengals.

"We can all play at a high level," Hill says of the cornerback room. "That brings the best out of all of us. There are guys that can come in and execute. (Jefferson) is one of the best receivers in the NFL. We have to shut him down and contain him. Everything kind of runs through (their best players). We always talk about it each week. We have to lock down the best receiver. We do that, we have a pretty good chance of winning the game."

SLANTS AND SCREENS

Hill says it helps that they go against Chase and Tee Higgins every day in training camp. But he says Chase and Jefferson are two different types of receivers.

"(Jefferson) has good speed. A strider. Elite guy," Burks says …

Chase and Jefferson played together on the LSU national title team of 2019 quarterbacked by Joe Burrow, and they've been 1 and 1A ever since.

Off the third Triple Crown of the century (a jewel Jefferson doesn't have), Chase looks to be No. 1 at the moment. But there's how close it is.

Sunday marks the third matchup between the two all-time leaders in receiving yards per game in the last 13 years. Chase, at 87.8, trails Jefferson's 95.7 …

They're friends and last saw each during last July's taping of cereal commercials. They also celebrate with the same New Orleans dance. Asked he would perform "The Griddy," on Jefferson's home turf, Chase said basically he would if Jefferson didn't want him to do it …

Bengals rookie edge Shemar Stewart has been ruled out after missing all week of practice …

Defensive tackle B.J. Hill, who rested Wednesday, linebacker Logan Wilson (ankle) and left guard Dylan Fairchild (shoulder) all went full Friday and are good to go …