Here's What Should Scare the Vikings About the Bills

If the Vikings left their comfort zone when they traveled to Detroit for their Week 8 meeting with the Lions, they face another significant test when they host the powerful Buffalo Bills Monday night.

The problems the Vikings have had all season remain. Head coach Kevin O’Connell simply does not have a cohesive offense that he can put on the field against any opponent. Kyler Murray’s inconsistency has been one of the primary reasons the Vikings have not been able to unleash wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.

However, that’s not the only issue the Vikings have to contend with against the Bills. The Minnesota defense may be the best in the league, but that unit will get tested severely by Josh Allen and Buffalo’s explosive offense.

The Bills are the highest scoring team in the league, and they are averaging 33.3 points per game. That’s nearly 4 points per game better than the second-ranked Cincinnati Bengals.

The primary reason for the Bills success on offense is Josh Allen. The four-time Pro Bowler and 2024 Most Valuable Player is perhaps the most athletic quarterback in the NFL. His passing numbers are solid as he has completed 135 of 205 passes for 1,793 yards with a somewhat underwhelming 11-5 TD-interception ratio.

However, no discussion of Allen’s offensive contributions is complete unless they include his rushing totals. He has gained 270 yards and is averaging 4.9 yards per carry, and he has an amazing 9 rushing TDs.

Vikings defense faces its biggest test of the season

Containing Allen will be a major test for Blake Cashman, Dallas Turner, Andrew Van Ginkel, Eric Wilson, Josh Metellus and Harrison Smith. Those six players are the key operatives in defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ defense.

Shutting down Allen is not a realistic option, but limiting his contributions and forcing the Bills’ offense to settle for field goal attempts is a must if the Vikings are going to win this game.

In addition to Allen, the Bills are dependent on James Cook and the running game. Cook is the brother of former Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook, and both have the same style. James Cook has explosive speed and quickness and he can break big plays when he gets through the line of scrimmage cleanly.

Cook has rushed for 707 yards on 138 carries and is averaging 5.1 yards per carry. He has gotten into the end zone 7 times, but he has fumbled 4 times. That has angered first-year head coach Joe Brady, who has threatened to limit Cook’s touches if the fumbling issue continues to rear its head.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid and wideout Khalil Shakir have been Allen’s two primary receivers to this point, but look for D.J. Moore to play a key role in this game as his AC joint sprain (shoulder) is healed and he will try to exploit the Vikings secondary. Moore has played 5 games this season and is looking to build on his 16-260-2 receiving total.

The Bills’ high-scoring offense is a huge challenge and the biggest concern the Vikings will face in this Week 9, high-profile game.