Stop me if you've heard this one before... the Minnesota Vikings needed Brian Flores' defense to rescue them Monday night, and their offense supplied just six points in a 23-6 loss to Buffalo.
Dallas Turner sacked Josh Allen on the Bills' opening possession. Byron Murphy Jr. intercepted him in the end zone and returned the interception 54 yards. Andrew Van Ginkel kept bothering Buffalo's backfield. Flores had Allen working for everything early.
Minnesota's offense answered with 178 yards, nine first downs, and zero third-down conversions in eight tries. It wasn't an isolated disaster, either. The offensive problems under O'Connell were already apparent during the previous week's loss to Detroit.
How the Vikings offense stranded Brian Flores' defense
Monday marked the third time this season the Vikings failed to score a touchdown. Minnesota previously escaped with a 9-3 victory over Chicago in Week 2 and a 15-10 win over Miami in Week 4, relying entirely on Will Reichard's field goals in both games.
The touchdown drought against Miami was troubling enough, but Monday showed what happens when an opponent can punish Minnesota's inability to finish drives. Flores' defense can steal victories against lesser competition, but asking that same defense to carry the load against Josh Allen is asking for trouble.
Buffalo finished with 399 yards on 79 plays and controlled the ball for 42 minutes, 32 seconds. Defending that many snaps against Allen and James Cook turns even a well-executed game plan into a survival exercise. Minnesota couldn't sustain drives long enough to reset the defense.
Eventually, all that time on the field caught up with Minnesota. Buffalo followed a 14-play third-quarter march with a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive in the fourth.
Cook finished with 107 rushing yards on 31 carries. Flores' group deserves criticism for failing to get off the field, especially after recent struggles against rushing attacks. It also deserves an offense that can stay on the field for five minutes.
Carson Wentz completed eight of 25 passes for 81 yards and two interceptions, and finished with an 8.9 passer rating. Justin Jefferson caught just three of 11 targets. When a receiver that good gets that little production, the quarterback isn't the only person who should be answering questions.
Vikings' second straight loss exposes the cost of offensive inconsistency
Minnesota has gone from 6-0 to 6-2 with consecutive losses. Flores' defensive success this season helped build that start, but even an excellent unit has limits. Monday wasn't a flawless defensive showing, particularly against Cook. It was still good enough to make the game winnable before possession and attrition took over.
Kyler Murray's hamstring injury forced another quarterback adjustment, and Max Brosmer completed six of seven passes after replacing Wentz late. Nobody should crown Brosmer for a short appearance. O'Connell still needs quicker answers underneath, clearer protection plans, and manageable third downs regardless of who's taking snaps.
Green Bay awaits in Week 10 after Jordan Love threw for 387 yards in the teams' first meeting. Flores will need his coverage disguises against that passing attack, but Minnesota's offense must prevent the rematch from becoming another exhausting defensive shift.
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