Vikings should look to exploit Bills’ soft run D

By Krupka  |   Thursday, September 28, 2006  |  Comments( 2 )

Minnesota Vikings
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On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings will travel to Ralph Wilson Stadium in an inter-conference battle against the Buffalo Bills. Both teams enter the game trying to rid the taste of defeat from their mouths. The Vikings fell victim to a costly turnover late in a 19-16 loss against the division-rival Bears, while the Bills turned the ball over three times in a somewhat surprising home defeat at the hands of their fellow AFC East competitor, the New York Jets, 28-20.

The highly erratic Bills hope to defend their home turf against the offensively-deprived Vikings.

In the previous meeting between the teams, which dates all the way back to 2002, the Bills beat the Vikings, 45-39, in an overtime shootout at the Metrodome. However, both teams are a far cry from what they were four years ago.

The Vikings no longer have a high-powered offense and porous defense. The Bills no longer have the statue known as Drew Bledsoe at quarterback, and receiver Peerless Price has gone from possible breakout star to a fizzled out has-been.

This time, Minnesota will forge into Buffalo with an offense that is ranked 18th overall, but has struggled mightily once reaching opposing territory. In fact, the unit hasn't scored a touchdown in nine quarters, going all the way back to the third quarter of Week 1, when Marcus Robinson caught a 20-yard touchdown pass.

On the contrary, Buffalo will try to stymie the Vikings' suddenly stoppable offense with its 11th-ranked defense. The Bills have been without the services of arguably their best defender, All-Pro linebacker Takeo Spikes, for the past two weeks. Spikes is nursing a hamstring injury and is listed questionable on the injury report. The two-time Pro Bowler will be a game-time decision.

The Bills' defense is ranked seventh against the pass, allowing 169.3 yards per game through the air, but a very pedestrian 21st against the run, giving up an average of 116.3 yards on the ground and an average of 4.1 yards per carry.

With the Vikings' offense predicated upon the run game, and Buffalo's defense having trouble thwarting opposing backs, it makes perfect sense for the Vikings to utilize Chester Taylor early and often. Against the Bills' struggling run-stopping unit, it wouldn't be surprising if Taylor put up his best performance of the season to date.

In Week 1 the Bills' Swiss cheese run defense was pummeled for 183 yards on 41 carries, an average of 4.46 yards per carry by the New England Patriots. Pats running backs Laurence Maroney (17 carries, 86 yards) and Corey Dillon (16 carries, 73 yards) combined for 159 yards and 4.81 yards per carry.

Week 2 brought Ronnie Brown and the Miami Dolphins. Although the Bills held the Dolphins to a total of 92 rushing yards, Brown still had an outstanding 4.7 yards per carry average.

Then in their home opener against the ground-challenged Jets, the Bills allowed just 74 yards, but two rushing touchdowns. And the lower yardage is to be expected against a Jets team that, frankly, can't run the ball. They start two rookies on their offensive line, and lack a true featured back that can be counted on to run the ball 20-plus times a game. Let's be serious, the 49ers' trash, Kevan Barlow, isn't the answer.

In fairness to the Bills, though, had they not been gouged by the Patriots' two-headed monster of Dillon and Maroney, they would stack up better statistically, but then we would still be ignoring the fact that they just aren't that good against the run.

So simply put, for the Vikings to win, they need to run the ball, run the ball and run the ball some more. Up to this point, head coach Brad Childress seems much more committed to the run than his former boss, Andy Reid, which bodes well for this formula.

In the offseason the team added All-Pro guard Steve Hutchinson, two-time Pro Bowl fullback Tony Richardson and the aforesaid Chester Taylor to the new West Coast Offense.

In three games Taylor has been a workhorse, carrying the ball 75 times for 275 yards and a touchdown. In addition, the running back has hauled in three passes in each of the three games for 73 yards.

The Bills' defense is young, fast and aggressive, so the Vikings should try to use it against them and run some misdirections and play-action fakes. Also, the Vikings' strong suit is running the ball to the left side, which coincidentally, is the easier side to run on against the Bills. Left tackle Bryant McKinnie will have his hands full with Bills pass-rushing defensive end Aaron Schobel. However, teams can exploit the DE's aggressiveness by running at him.

The Minnesota Vikings would be wise to give backup Mewelde Moore some touches to spell Taylor. In limited carries this season, the third-year back is averaging a robust 5.5 yards per attempt.

Expect the Vikings to establish the run, and continue pounding the rock as they try to control the ball and win the time of possession battle. Look for Taylor to have a career day as Minnesota's offense becomes a little more productive.

Check back tomorrow for the Vikings' defensive keys against Buffalo.

Eric Krupka can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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