by TYLER HATHAWAY
The Bills are back in primetime, and this weekend brings a heavyweight clash. Buffalo will hit the road for a Monday night showdown in Minnesota, where a strong Vikings team awaits. Both teams only have one loss, but that will have to change. Here’s the breakdown:
BUFFALO BILLS (6-1/AFC East)
vs.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (6-1/NFC North)
Monday, U.S. Bank Stadium, 8:15 pm
Storyline #1- A battle of the best units
The main draw of Monday’s tilt is the showdown between the Buffalo offense and the Minnesota defense.
The Bills are the only team to average more than 30 points per game, with an average of 33.3 points per contest. They’re second in the NFL in total yards per game, only two yards behind the Detroit Lions. The Bills have scored 33 or more points in three straight games, and five times this season.
The Vikings, on the other hand, have one of the best defenses in the NFL. Minnesota allows 13.3 points per game, and is the only team that allows less than 15 points per game. In terms of yardage, the Vikings allow the second least yards per game.
However, while that half of the game is a clash of the best, the other side will be a clash of the worst. The Bills rank in the bottom 10 in total yards allowed per game and points allowed per game, “highlighted” by the third worst passing defense in the league. Minnesota has the fourth worst offense in terms of yards per game and the sixth worst in terms of points per game.
Storyline #2- Carson Wentz to start for Vikings
Veteran quarterback Carson Wentz will get the nod for Minnesota on Monday.
Starting quarterback Kyler Murray is dealing with a hamstring strain and is considered week-to-week, meaning that for the second straight week Buffalo will be having to defend against a back-up quarterback.
Wentz has seen action in a couple of games for the Vikings this year. In Week 1, he replaced an injured Murray and played basically the entire game, completing 12 of 19 passes for 133 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 2, he was 11 of 20 passes for 143 yards.
Storyline #3- Bills sit at top seed halfway through season
The NFL season is almost at its halfway point, as hard as that is to believe.
And the Bills currently sit in a position they would love to be in come January.
As we enter Week 8, the Bills are the number one seed in the AFC. They are the only team in the conference with just one loss, and only one of three teams in the entire NFL with that mark (San Francisco, Minnesota).
The short-term schedule ahead bodes well for the BIlls, outside of the Vikings of course. Buffalo will travel to New Jersey to face the Jets in Week 10 before returning home for a date with the Dolphins.
After that is when the fate of the Bills postseason seed will truly be decided. Buffalo will face Kansas City, New England, Green Bay, Chicago, and Denver in a five-week stretch from Thanksgiving to Christmas, with three of those games coming on the road.
Key to the game #1- Contain Justin Jefferson
Despite the Vikings offensive struggles this season, they still have wide receiver Justin Jefferson, one of the best pass-catchers in football.
He hasn’t been receiving his usual respect as one of the best receivers in the NFL because of Minnesota’s struggles (wrongfully so), but he should always be taken as a serious threat. Especially when you factor in a struggling pass defense, and how he’s tortured Buffalo in the past. The last time these two teams met in 2022, Jefferson logged 10 catches for 191 yards and a touchdown, including a one-handed grab on fourth and long late in the game that helped the Vikings eke out an overtime win.
Key to the game #2- Get pressure on Wentz
When Lamar Jackson exited with an injury early in last week’s game, the Bills were able to generate waves of pressure on both Tyler Huntley and Joe Fagnano that generated sacks and turnovers, allowing Buffalo to run away with the game.
The same formula should be attempted against the Vikings. Wentz isn’t as mobile as he used to be, and Minnesota is likely to try and throw the ball a lot with how the Bills secondary has struggled. Make them pay for dropping back like you did against Baltimore and your odds of winning the game skyrocket.
X-Factor: Bills quarterback Josh Allen
While Josh Allen is awesome in basically every conceivable way, the one thorn in the former MVP’s side is turning the ball over.
Historically, he’s done it a lot. And while he’s cut back on it in recent years, there are still occasional games where he struggles to maintain possession of the football, like this year’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Vikings poise a tremendous challenge for Allen and the Bills offense. Not only do they not allow a lot of yards, or a lot of points, but they thrive at generating turnovers. Their turnover differential of +7 is the best in the NFL of teams who’ve only played seven games.
If Allen plays clean, Buffalo probably wins on Monday. If he has one turnover, they’re probably okay. Anything more than that and Minnesota has the edge- so the Vikings will be doing everything they can to make that happen.
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