Kickoff is at 8:15pm in Minneapolis
By Chuck Pollock, Senior Sports Writer
The statistics are compeling … a paradoxical reversal.
When the Bills meet the Vikings Monday night at Minneapolis’ U.S. Bank Stadium (8:15 ABC-TV, Bills Radio Network) the numbers present a fascinating contrast.
These two 6-1 teams present opposing strengths.
Buffalo leads the NFL in scoring at 33.3 points per game and is second in yards accrued with 393 per start, two fewer than Detroit. The Bills lone loss was a 29-26 decision to the Patriots (5-3), the defending AFC champion, at Orchard Park. Minnesota’s forte is defense surrendering a league-leading 13.3 points per game and 271.6 yards, second-best in the NFL to Seattle.
CARSON WENTZ, who has played for five teams in 11 years — Philadelphia, Washington, L.A. Rams, Kansas City and Minnesota — gets the start against Buffalo, against which he’s 2-0, replacing Kyler Murray, who remains in concussion protocol and has a chest injury.
In the early line, the Bills were a 3-point favorite, but that figure has risen to 3.5. The other side of the statistical paradox?
Minnesota is one of the league’s worst offensive teams. Four times it has scored 16 points-or-fewer and the Vikings average score is 20 points, 27th in the NFL. They’re 29th in yards gained (299).
But, alas, Buffalo’s defensive numbers are equally miserable. It ranks 24th both in average points (25.9) and yards (352) surrendered.
Still, the Vikings only defeat was a 19-15 decision to the Lions (5-2) at Detroit.
ONE OF the initial questions first-year Bills coach Joe Brady got about the game was the revelation that Carson Wentz would start at quarterback for the ailing Murray.
“We were preparing for both,” he said, “but he’s been in the league for a long time but we’ll adjust for his skill set.
“Last week we had to adjust on the second play of the game (when the Ravens Lamar Jackson left (with a thumb injury on his throwing hand), so it’s not something we’re not used to.”
But they’re not used to a defense the quality of Minnesota’s.
“They’re obviously an elite defense and they make you work the entire game,” Brady confirmed. “And no matter what you do in practice it will not feel the same as it will in the game.”
Especially in one of the NFL’s loudest venues.
“The communication when you’re on the road has to be elite,” he said, “it’s always going to be hard. They make it stressful on every single play. Each team is not going to look the same in practice as it will full speed.”
And the Vikings have a unique defensive coordinator in Brian Flores, a former head coach of the Dolphins.
“It’s not like it’s the same defense every year,” Brady pointed out. “He continually evolves and players have a good idea how to attack schemes and coverages. (Flores) continues to reinvent himself in his defense.”
Then there’s the stress of playing in such a loud stadium.
“When you’re on the road,” Brady pointed out, “you know the urgency. With myself, I have to be mindful of the length of the play-calls and how quickly I can get the calls in so they can get up to the line of scrimmage and make sure we’re on the same page without having sloppy feet getting set up.
“And communicating with Josh (Allen, quarterback), when you’re in the (shot)gun, and make sure he’s able to go up and get set. On the road there’s a time component, whereas at home you can do a lot of those things (more easily).
He added “We knew we were going to be playing a lot of games on the road. So at training camp or indoors or walk-throughs, we were doing it with crowd noise (via speakers) just getting used to it on offense and defense … how can we communicate through the chaos and noise?
“But no matter how loud our speakers are it’s not going to emulate Monday night.”
INJURIES:
Bills: Offensive lineman Alec Anderson (ankle), tackle Dion Dawkins (ribs), special teamer Sam Franklin (illness), defensive lineman Greg Gaines (calf) and wide receiver Joshua Palmer (hamstring) didn’t practice Friday. In addition, tackle Spencer Brown (back), wide receiver Keon Coleman (shoulder), defensive back Jordan Hancock (hamstring) and wide receiver D.J. Moore (shoulder) were all limited in practice.
Vikings: Quarterback Kyler Murray (chest) and safety Theo Jackson (quad), running back, Demond Claiborne (knee) and wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf) all missed practice Friday while linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and safety Jay Ward were limited the last two days.
WEATHER: Dome
POLLOCK’S PICK: Vikings 23, Bills17
Chuck Pollock is a Senior Sport Writer for the Wellsville and Olean Sun providing decades of insight and experience. You can reach him anytime, cpollock@wnynet.net
