Vikings D: Stop Willis, and you’ll stop the Bills offense

By Krupka  |   Friday, September 29, 2006  |  Comments( 4 )

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Yesterday's article stated the Minnesota Vikings' offensive key to beating the Buffalo Bills, Sunday. Today, yours truly will look at the defensive key to dismantling the Bills' offense at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

The task at hand for the Vikings' defense will be the 22nd-ranked offense in the NFL. Breaking it down even further, the Bills are truly a one-dimensional team. The passing offense is horrendous, ranked 29th, averaging just 171 yards per game, and that's after quarterback J.P. Losman tossed for 328 yards last week.

Riding the coattails of the league's leading rusher, Willis McGahee, and the feet of mobile quarterback J.P. Losman, the ground game has been excellent, ranking ninth overall at 124.3 yards per game.

What makes it even more impressive is the fact the Bills' offensive line is mediocre. So far that hasn't stopped McGahee; in fact, the only thing that has stopped the 6-foot, 228-pounder is the coaching staff's play calling that has surprisingly shied away from running the ball in the second half of games.

As for Losman, nobody will confuse the Tulane alumnus with Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick, or the retired Randall Cunningham, but the Bills' signal caller can buy time with his scrambling ability, and has shown that he can be effective running with the football. Some have questioned why he doesn't run more. And it's a valid question, since his decision making in the pocket has been less than stellar; and up to this point in his career, he hasn't shown the ability to beat anyone with his arm.

The Vikings will bring their aggressive, high-intensity defense to Buffalo. Defense has been the strength of the team so far, and that shouldn't change this week. The highly motivated, prolific run-stuffer, defensive tackle Pat Williams, spearheads a stingy unit that's allowing just 87 yards rushing per game.

But it doesn't stop with the run. The Vikings' defense is also a very respectable 15th overall against the pass, allowing 200.3 yards per game through the air. The secondary is extremely talented, boasting safeties Darren Sharper and Dwight Smith, and a strong group of cornerbacks, namely Fred Smoot and Antoine Winfield.

So what's all this mean?

Well, the Vikings have a good defense, and the Bills' offense is fairly average, and relies upon the run too much. Buffalo's one-dimensional attack better get on track early, or else they will be in store for a long day.

The key to stopping the Bills is quite simple. Stop McGahee. By doing this, it will force Losman to beat you; and, frankly, the third-year quarterback hasn't done that yet in his short career.

If the Vikings are able to dominate the line of scrimmage and keep McGahee in check, the Bills' offense will be stagnant, and the fast, aggressive, blitzing defense will be able to tee off on Losman, who will more than likely be running for his life.

And with the ball in Losman's hands, Minnesota has to be confident.

Game Prediction: Minnesota 20, Buffalo 13

Eric Krupka is a senior writer for RealFootball365.com. He responds to reader's email daily and can be reached at ekrupka@realfootball365.com

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CommentsComments: 4  |  Sign Up  View all comments
No.1
J.A.K.e		02:41 PM
09/29/2006
Trying to figure out whre all this Losman disparging comes from with outsiders and haven't quite figured it out yet. People say...
No.2
Dim Gim		08:55 PM
09/30/2006
The Vikings D is aggresive and hard hitting. They will force a guy like Losman to make mistakes so it really won't make a...
No.3
Rich		09:43 PM
10/01/2006
Well after reading your article, and see the Bills beat the awsesome defense of the Vikings. I guess they are pretty good? huh?
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