Minnesota Vikings At Buffalo Bills: 3 Keys To Victory
By Adam Carlson
With the Vikings coming off another crushing defeat on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, Minnesota won’t see things getting any easier when they travel to Buffalo to take on the Bills this week.
Here are my three keys to success to come out of Buffalo with a victory on Sunday:
Sep 21, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Mario Williams (94) during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Slow down the Bills defensive line. Buffalo has quietly put together one of the best front lines in the NFL. Right now, they’re rated #1 in the league against the run, giving up only 67.5 rushing yards per game and not giving up a run longer than 16 yards this season. Not only is their run defense excellent, but their pass rush is very potent as well. The Bills are tied for 3rd in the NFL in sacks this year at 19 with both Mario Williams (4.5 sacks) and Marcell Dareus (5 sacks) having excellent seasons. It doesn’t help that the Bills are facing a Vikings offensive line that is in turmoil.
Oct 12, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Kyle Orton (18) passes the ball during the 2nd half against the New England Patriots at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Patriots beat the Bills 37-22. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Watch the short passes from Kyle Orton. More than half of Buffalo’s pass yards are from yards after the catch. Not only that, but 54 of the team’s 213 targets and 43 of the 130 catches on the year came from running backs. Minnesota will have to show discipline and good tackling to keep the Bills offense off the field. Buffalo has many players who are dangerous with the ball in their hands, like running back Fred Jackson rookie wide receiver Sammy Watkins. They will give that Vikings defense a tough task.
Oct 12, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater (5) passes against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at TCF Bank Stadium. The Lions win 17-3. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Play fast on offense. We saw in the game against the Lions what happens when plays take too long to develop. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater was sacked 8 times in that Detroit game and the Vikings only managed to get 35 yards on the ground from their running backs. In order to improve on last week, everyone on offense has to be faster. The offensive line has to be faster off the snap, the quarterback has to get rid of the ball faster and the running back needs to find a hole fast before it closes.
I know these three keys sound tough to achieve, but offensive coordinator Norv Turner and head coach Mike Zimmer have had some time to tweak things from the embarrassment of the last two weeks and hopefully we see some better football from the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Are there any keys to success that you feel I missed or disagree with one that I have posted above? Discuss it in the comments below.