The Buffalo Bills are off to a great start, sitting at 6-1 atop the entire AFC. The Minnesota Vikings are also off to a great start, and they are second in the NFC with a a6-1 record, as they are currently tired with the San Francisco 49ers.
The Vikings have the NFL’s best defense. The Bills have the NFL’s best offense. Something’s gotta give, as the move title suggests, and while I don’t expect to see Jack Nicholson in this one—or Diane Keaton, for that matter—I do expect to see a darn good football
game.
If the Bills are going to come out on top, they’ll need all of their top players to perform to their capability. Here are five Bills to watch on Monday night.
_____________________________________________________________________________
QB Josh Allen
In a game like this, Allen has to avoid trying to do too much. Just take the checkdown. Take the easy money. Take the thing the defense gives you so that you can sustain the drive. Don’t come out juiced up trying to be a hero from the jump. Just play within the system, hit your keys, focus on your reads, and throw it to the guys wearing white helmets. If you do that, you’re probably going to leave Minnesota with a win. If you hold the ball, force it downfield into double coverage, and try to make chicken salad out of a far less desireable byproduct of chicken feed? Well, this is a defense that will make you pay. Allen doesn’t need to be Superman for the Bills to win on Monday. He just needs to be Josh Allen.
RB James Cook III
IF this stellar Vikings defense has a weakness, it’s the running game. They’re currently allowing opposing teams to average 4.5 yards per carry. That doesn’t bode well for the Vikings against the NFL’s third-best rushing offense. Cook averages 5.1 yards per carry this season, and Buffalo’s second-leading rusher—Allen—averages 4.9 yards per rush. If those two can take off, look out. The Bills worked Ray Davis into the rotation a bit more last week, which was nice to see. I’d like to see them do that a little bit more on Monday, as well, as Davis offers a different build and different running style to Cook. If Buffalo’s top back can find his footing, though, it will go a long way towards keeping the Bills on schedule, which will lead to points.
Injured Offensive Linemen
Which Buffalo offensive linemen will play? Alec Anderson missed Thursday’s practice with an ankle injury—is Austin Corbett going to slot in and start? Dion Dawkins missed practice with a rib injury—is Tylan Grable going to play left tackle just one week after starting in place of Spencer Brown at right tackle? Speaking of Brown, he was limited in practice thanks to his back injury. What happens if both he and Dawkins can’t suit up? Rookie Jude Bowry was terrible in the preseason, so making his first career start against the NFL’s top defense isn’t exactly ideal. The Bills could move Anderson out to tackle in pinch, but again, if he’s hurt too…what do the Bills do? The offensive line, and who is able to play, is a huge area of concern this week.
LB Terrel Bernard
Minnesota’s second most frequently targets receiver is tight end T.J. Hockenson. Bernard has been playing much better of late, as he seems to be settling in a touch in new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard’s scheme. The Vikings have struggled this year on offense, averaging just 20 points and 279 yards per game. However, Buffalo’s defense has also struggled, allowing 26 points and 352 yards per game. If Bernard can combine with Buffalo’s other linebackers and slot players to limit Hockenson, it will go a long way towards stymying a mid-level Minnesota offense. If he can’t, well, it could lead to a scenario where the moveable force (Buffalo’s defense) is pushed around by the immoveable object (Minnesota’s offense). Hopefully, Bernard continues his upward trajectory this week.
CB Christian Benford
Minnesota’s top receiving target needs no introduction, as Justin Jefferson is one of the NFL’s elite receivers. After a poor start to the season, Benford has thrived the last two games as an eraser for the opposing team’s top target. He traveled with Raiders’ tight end Brock Bowers and largely eliminated him from the game in Buffalo’s 33-30 victory three weeks ago. Then, last week, he traveled with Baltimore Ravens’ wideout Zay Flowers and completely erased him from the game, as Flowers logged the first zero-catch game of his career. Benford is a legitimate stud corner, and Jefferson is a legitimate stud wideout. This is a premier matchup, and I expect it to be one of the biggest keys to the entire game for both teams. If Benford can limit Jefferson, it will give the Bills a huge boost in the game.
