Josh Allen makes almost everything look easy for the Buffalo Bills.
Yet Allen will be the first to admit that not everything is as simple as it might seem from the outside. He used this week’s game preparation as an example.
The Buffalo Bills (6-1) will take on the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) on Monday night in Minneapolis, and Allen hopes his hours of film study can help against a defense that ranks at or near the top in several major statistical categories.
“It’s not even how they blitz. It’s how productive they are when they do blitz,” the former NFL MVP said. “They bring it from both sides, they’ll blitz the middle, they’ll drop guys that you think are coming. It’s a very in-tune defense.
“Those guys are very smart. They’re playing so well together. It’s hard to game-plan for a team like this because there aren’t any weaknesses.”
That may be true about the Vikings’ defense, but offense is another story for Minnesota. The Vikings rank 29th in total offense at 279.4 yards per game and have the second-fewest touchdowns, 12.
The only team with fewer touchdowns than Minnesota is the winless Los Angeles Chargers, who have nine.
Minnesota will turn to backup quarterback Carson Wentz to start Monday night. Kyler Murray has been ruled out with a strained hamstring, and the team says his status is week-to-week.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell has won with Wentz before and hopes to do it again.
“Carson’s going to throw a lot of completions,” O’Connell said. “He’s going to put the ball in play. He’s got such a high, high understanding of not only the offense, but what he’s looking at on the other side.
“He’s the perfect guy in a moment where you can’t have Kyler out there at full strength. … We feel very strongly about (the fact that) when Carson’s in there, we’re going to get really effective quarterback play.”
It won’t be easy to keep up with the Bills’ high-tempo attack.
Allen has completed 65.9% of his passes for 1,793 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He also has rushed for 270 yards and nine scores.
James Cook III is averaging 5.1 yards per carry for Buffalo and has scored seven rushing touchdowns. The Bills also feature a balanced passing attack, with Dalton Kincaid leading the way with 401 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
On defense, Greg Rousseau is the Bills’ top pass-rushing threat with seven sacks to go along with a team-high three forced fumbles. Four Buffalo players have one interception apiece.
For the Vikings, Wentz has passed for 276 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions in limited duty this year. Aaron Jones Sr. is averaging 4.2 yards per carry and has rushed for two scores, while Justin Jefferson has 28 catches for 335 yards and four TDs.
Andrew Van Ginkel leads Minnesota with 6 1/2 sacks, just ahead of Dallas Turner’s six. Byron Murphy Jr. has three interceptions, and James Pierre has two.
The Bills had two offensive linemen miss the start of the practice week Thursday because of injuries: Dion Dawkins (rib) and Alec Anderson (ankle). Defensive lineman Greg Gaines (calf), running back Ty Johnson (illness) and wide receiver Josh Palmer (hamstring) also sat out. Kincaid (chest), wide receivers DJ Moore (shoulder) and Keon Coleman (shoulder) and tackle Spencer Brown (back) were limited.
Besides Murray, Vikings safety Theo Jackson missed the first practice with a quadriceps injury. Van Ginkel (chest), left tackle Christian Darrisaw (shoulder), wide receiver Jauan Jennings (calf) and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers (ankle) were among those limited on Thursday.