Orchard Park, N.Y. (WGR 550) - After a loss this past Sunday to the New York Jets in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the Buffalo Bills will try to get back on track this week when they face the Minnesota Vikings at Highmark Stadium.
Quarterback Josh Allen is listed as questionable with an elbow injury, but the team did not elevate Matt Barkley from the practice squad, which is an indication that Allen will not only be active, but presumably start.
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Here are my three keys to the game for the 6-2 Bills to be able to pull off the victory against the 7-1 Vikings:
1.) Contain Justin Jefferson
I didn’t write “stop Justin Jefferson,” because that’s nearly impossible to do. The Vikings receiver is an absolute beast.
Jefferson comes into the game ranked second in the league in yards receiving (867), fifth in total receptions (59), and fourth in targets (84).
The Bills will have to figure out a way to slow Jefferson down and force Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins to go elsewhere. They do have other weapons, but Jefferson is their go-to guy, and their passing offense runs through him.
Buffalo will want to take away the Vikings' best player and option.
2.) Attack Vikings secondary
There are going to be plenty of opportunities for the Bills to throw against this Vikings defense, which ranks 27th in the league in passing yards given up per-game (256.9) and 29th in the NFL in yards per-play allowed through the air (7.37).
In addition, Vikings starting cornerback Cameron Dantzler has been ruled out of the game, so an already struggling secondary gets even thinner.
The middle of the field and slot positions have been the biggest area of concern for the Vikings defense this season. Look for the Bills to try to exploit that area and their wideout matchups.
3.) Buckle up the run defense
Over the last two weeks, the Bills have given up 382 rushing yards on the ground. Last week, they allowed 174 yards on 34 carries for a 5.1 per-carry average against the Jets.
That has to change this week.
The Vikings don’t have a top-tier run game, but they do have Dalvin Cook, who is 10th in the NFL with 608 yards. Cook, older brother of Bills rookie running back James Cook, has run for 90 yards or more in four separate games this year.
Stopping Cook should be a focus, but this is about the Bills defense doing a better job of stopping the run, regardless of who the opponent is.
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