Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - In one of the most unbelievable, improbable games and endings, the Buffalo Bills dropped a 33-30 overtime loss at home to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
Two losses in-a-row means the second-straight week can be started with Arrows Down:
ARROW DOWN:
Blowing a 17-point lead
Two games in-a-row now the Bills have led by double-digits and lost. It was first leading the New York Jets by 10 points last week, and now leading by 17 points against Minnesota.
A big part of the Bills' success over the last couple of years has been pulling away from teams when they get up. They haven’t done a good enough job with the details to be able to do that over the last couple weeks.
The snap
The Bills essentially had the game won. All they had to do was get a clean snap from center Mitch Morse to quarterback Josh Allen and fall forward. The clock would have run out.
However, Allen didn’t grab the snap clearly and it fell to the ground. The Vikings recovered the football for the touchdown and the lead.
Cam Lewis not knocking it down
The Bills led 27-23 at the two-minute warning, and the Vikings faced a 4th-and-18 from their own 27-yard-line with only one timeout left.
Kirk Cousins ended up throwing deep to Justin Jefferson, and Cam Lewis was in position to make the play. All he had to do was knock the ball down and the game would have, most likely, been over.
Instead, he tried to catch it, and Jefferson snatched it away. It was a 32-yard gain, and a first down for the Vikings at the Bills' 41-yard line.
Not defending Justin Jefferson
That play wasn’t the only one Jefferson made. He was absolutely incredible all afternoon long.
In my keys to the game preview, the first key I wrote was slowing down Jefferson. The Bills didn’t.
Jefferson ended up catching 10 passes for 193 yards and a touchdown. Several of them were absolutely critical plays, where it was evident he was going to be Cousins’ main target, and the Bills still had no answer.
The final play
After Allen and the Bills offense did a terrific job of moving the ball from their own 28-yard line all the way down to the Vikings' 20-yard line in just over 2:00, they still had 1:36 remaining in overtime to score a touchdown and win or, at the very least, kick a field goal for the tie.
It was 2nd-and-10 and they had plenty of time to not have to force anything. However, it appears Allen did when he tried to fit the ball in to Gabe Davis in the back of the end zone.
The ball was intercepted and the Bills lost.
Lack of a running game in the second half
In the first half, the Bills ran 17 times for 116 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per-carry. Even taking away Allen’s 46 yards on three carries, it was still 14 rushes for 70 yards and a 5.0 yard per-run average.
In the second half, the run game became non-existent with just eight carries for 21 yards and 2.6 yards per-run.
Fourth quarter drive - Ken Dorsey
The Vikings cut the lead to 27-23 with 4:28 left in regulation. The Bills had a chance to close the game out with a long drive, especially with points. Minnesota had only one timeout left.
However, offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey elected to throw three plays in-a-row. The throw first gained no yards. Then there was a false start penalty, and the next two passes were incomplete, stopping the clock.
Three plays, negative-5 yards, and only 1:08 off the clock when the Bills had to punt from their own 23-yard line. It was a disaster of a series from play-calling to execution.
Fourth quarter fourth down
On the first series of the fourth quarter, the Bills led 27-17 and faced a 4th-and-2 from the Vikings' seven-yard line. Head coach Sean McDermott elected to go for it, which wasn’t a bad decision, since the Vikings already needed two scores and a field goal wouldn’t change that, but a touchdown would make it three.
Instead of just gaining the first down, they appeared to want to score a touchdown on that play. Maybe a designed quarterback run, or something easy and short would have kept the drive alive. But Allen was pressured, rolled out, and threw it into the end zone and was intercepted by Patrick Peterson.
The veteran corner then returned the ball all the way to the Vikings' 34-yard line, where they took over.
The decision was fine, but the play wasn’t. Then the decision by Allen to just throw it up for grabs made it worse since even a throwaway would have forced Minnesota to start their next drive at their own seven-yard line.
Three points after halftime
The Bills offense, once again, went flat in the second half, scoring only three points after putting up 24 in the first half.
They've now scored only 12 points in the second half (and overtime) over their last three contests.
Dalvin Cook’s run… and overtime
The Bills had done a really good job containing Dalvin Cook for most of the game. The Vikings running back had only six carries for just 13 yards with 1:46 left in the third quarter.
But on the first play of the next series, Cook ripped off an 81-yard touchdown run that started the Minnesota comeback.
Cook also carried five times for 26 yards in overtime, and finished the game with 14 carries for 119 yards and the touchdown.
Devin Singletary’s fumble
With the Bills up 17-10 and less then 4:00 left before the half, they were driving and threatening to score another touchdown.
On a 2nd-and-1 from the Minnesota 34-yard line, Singletary had a nice run, gained seven yards, but then fumbled the ball away, stopping the drive.
The return flipped the field, with the Vikings taking the ball to the Bills' 37-yard line.
Third and fourth down defense
The Vikings converted 7-of-17 third down chances (41.2%) and 3-of-5 fourth downs (60%), which is too much. But it was also the length of those conversions that read made a difference. They converted:
- 3rd-and-11
- 3rd-and-7
- 3rd-and-10
- 3rd-and-5
- 3rd-and-12
- 4th-and-6
- 4th-and-18
- 3rd-and-10
So many chances for the Bills to get off the field, but allowing the Vikings to extend drives.
Red zone offense
The Bills had the ball inside the Vikings' 20-yard line six times, but only scored three touchdowns (50%), as their red zone issues continued.
All three of their non-conversions came in either the second half or overtime, and included two interceptions.
ARROW UP:
QB - Josh Allen
Despite the injured elbow that had many believing Allen wouldn’t even be able to suit up of the game - much less start, and even rumblings that he would miss multiple weeks - Allen was his usual self, throwing and running.
The Bills quarterback completed 29-of-43 passes (67.4%) for 330 yards and a touchdown, in addition to the two interceptions. He also ran six times for 84 yards, accounting for 414 yards of the Bills' 486 yards of offense.
Allen didn’t seem to have any issues throwing the ball, and was just as tough as usual in the run game.
WR - Stefon Diggs
Diggs caught 12 passes for 128 yards, including a spectacular one-handed grab in the third quarter.
WR - Gabe Davis
Davis responded with some inconsistent weeks as of late by catching six passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.
K - Tyler Bass
Bass was a perfect 3-for-3 on extra points, and also 3-for-3 on field goals, including a 45-yarder and the game-tying 29-yard kick to force overtime.
First half run game
In the first half, the Bills ran 17 times for 116 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per-carry. Plenty of runners got involved, including Allen (46 yards), Singletary (41 yards, two touchdowns), Isaiah McKenzie (18 yards), James Cook (7 yards), and Duke Johnson (4 yards).
CB - Christian Benford
Benford collected his first-career interception when he read an overthrow by Cousins, and stayed in position to grab it, taking it back 35 yards.
The rookie corner added seven total tackles and three other pass breakups, the most of any player in the game.
DT - Ed Oliver
Oliver was getting pressure constantly and was finally rewarded with a share of a sack, as the Vikings were near the Bills' goal line in overtime.
The fourth-year defensive tackle finished with two total tackles, the half-sack, and four quarterback hurries.
DE - Shaq Lawson
Lawson played limited snaps on Sunday, but made an impact when he did get on the field. He finished with three total tackles, the half-sack with Oliver, and two quarterback hurries.
Goal line stands
The Bills defense made two incredible goal line stands to keep the game alive: One at the end of regulation, and one at the end of the Vikings' possession in overtime.
In all, Minnesota had six plays from the Bills' six-yard line or closer in those two situations and failed to score a touchdown.
Third down offense
The Bills came into the game as the top-third down offense in the NFL and continued this success, converting 7-of-13 chances (53.8%).
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