AFC Game Of The Week
Minnesota Vikings at Buffalo Bills
Vikings: I know I’ve been highly critical of them this year at times because I’ve called them out for not closing games out how they should. When you have a team down, put them away, that’s all I am saying and there have been sometimes when they let teams hang around. I got the bad out of the way. Now, it’s time to focus on the good things. They look as if they’re having the time of their lives right now. Look at Kirk Cousins dancing (or attempting too) with all the necklaces on after games. That’s what winning does, it changes everything and let’s also give Kevin O’Connell some love too as he’s changed the entire dynamic of this franchise. Right now, the NFC North is the Minnesota Vikings division to lose. The Packers are a reality tv show and I don’t mean this in a good way either, the Lions are still the Lions, and the Bears play hard, they’re still young. Getting rid of Mike Zimmer was the best thing the Vikings could’ve done because many of the games I mentioned where they didn’t put teams away, they’d lose without question. A change was needed and as I’ve said before, young and offensive minded coaches are in. It’s the wave right now. It’s no disrespect to Mike, but he was outdated and his time simply expired. The Minnesota offense has been balanced and they’re taking care of the football. Getting T.J. Hockenson was a nice pick up for them and the defense is playing well. This is a balanced team. On Sunday, they will travel to Orchard Park, New York.
Bills: They should be ashamed of themselves. There are times when I feel they settle too much, and they become complacent which can hurt you in the end and you saw that on Sunday against the New York Jets. I’ll give the defense credit because they did all they could to keep them in that game. It was the offense that couldn’t get out of their own way, and they have an unfortunate tendency of doing that. That was the worst effort I’ve seen from the Bills all season long and here I am thinking they were past this. Isn’t it amazing to think this is the same team that flew across the country in week one and destroyed the Los Angeles Rams. Compared to what happened on Sunday, that seems so long ago. Let’s give the Jets credit though because they executed their game plan perfectly. When you play this Bills offense, it starts with two things. The first is zooming in on Stefon Diggs and always keeping him in front of you. Don’t allow him to get over the top of the coverage and the next is keeping Josh Allen in the pocket. He plays with the mindset of a Running Back when he’s using his feet because he doesn’t shy away from contact, and this is a 6’5 guy running downhill at you. Despite the loss, they’re still in first place in the AFC East and here’s what’s wild: The Jets, Dolphins and Patriots all won last weekend which makes things more interesting. They’ll return home Sunday afternoon for a tilt with the NFC North leading Vikings.
Vikings X-Factor: Dalvin Cook– This Minnesota offense is great with Justin Jefferson being the focal point. However, they’re better with a healthy Dalvin Cook in the backfield. When he’s healthy, Dalvin is a top five Running Back in this league. There’s nothing flashy about his style of play. He’s a downhill runner that initiates physically the minute someone tries to tackle him. Dalvin is explosive when he breaks the pocket, then the tackle box and into the open field. He’s a threat to take it the distance.
Bills X-Factor: Matt Milano– His presence was missed big time in the middle of that Buffalo defense last weekend. Matt is a tackling machine and he’s also the best Linebacker in the league when it comes to defending Tight Ends. Look how much the Jets attacked the middle of the field last Sunday without him on the field. Watch Matt make his presence felt in this game on Sunday. He will be all in on stopping the run, getting after Cousins and defending Hockenson. This defense has their share of playmakers and Matt Milano is one of them.
Final Thoughts: There’s another major storyline outside of this overall matchup. It’s the uncertainty of Josh Allen who has been dealing with an injured UCL last week against the Jets. He practiced in a limited capacity today and is listed as questionable heading into the game on Sunday. With Josh under center, the Bills are the most complete team in our league. He is a rare combination of size, athleticism and arm talent. As I always say, he’s a more accurate version of Cam Newton. This will be the toughest road game for the Vikings this year. Orchard Park is no easy place to play. I expect the Vikings to come out running the ball early on. If the Bills have a slight weakness, it’s stopping the run. This will be the best defense they will see all year. Buffalo must make Justin Jefferson beat them underneath as the Bills are the best in the league at preventing big plays down the field. The Vikings Offensive Line will have a task awaiting them with this Buffalo front seven.
Prediction: Bills 24, Vikings 17
