MINNEAPOLIS, MN – SEPTEMBER 23: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills hurdles Anthony Barr #55 of the Minnesota Vikings while carrying the ball in the first half of the game at U.S. Bank Stadium on September 23, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
The Bad Things vs Bills
Early penalties!Linval Joseph wanted to get a shot on Buffalo’s rookie quarterback, Anthony Barr used the facemask to bring a ball carrier down, and a double-team block on the kickoff return following Buffalo’s touchdown were mistakes that could have been avoided with disciplined play.
Short play defense. Buffalo was getting some good yardage on the ground with Chris Ivory and the screen game thanks to an overly aggressive Minnesota defense. They used those plays to set up a touchdown pass in the first quarter when everyone assumed it was a screen. Not good.
The offensive line. The left side has not been good to Kirk Cousins, with breakdowns in blocking leading to a ton of pressure coming right at the quarterback. This forced Cousins to throw before he was ready in situations and ended up with two fumbles because of pass rushers.
That’s a rookie?Josh Allen looked like Steve Young in this game, owning the air and the ground. That play where he jumped over Anthony Barr is something that fans don’t see every day and it got even more brutal for the Vikings defense when he got a quarterback sneak touchdown.
Failure to make adjustments. It is unsure as to whether or not Minnesota did enough homework on Josh Allen and the Bills offense, but they didn’t make great adjustments on either side of the ball. The Vikings only attempted to run an NFL record low six times in the game, gaining only 14 yards while having Cousins sling the ball FIFTY-FIVE times while the Bills were able to sit on their lead the entire game.
