At the halfway point of the NFL regular season, the Minnesota Vikings’ record stands as one of the best in the league. They hold an impressive four-and-a-half-game lead in the NFC North, just the third time in the last 30 seasons that a team has had such a lead through nine weeks. Minnesota fans have been waiting for this team many say is one of the most talented in the league to have one of these kinds of seasons, but also believe caution is to be had for the rest of the year.
In the team’s seven wins, just one team Minnesota has faced currently has a winning record. In the Week 6 game, the Miami Dolphins were forced to play third-string quarterback Skylar Thompson for most of the game, giving Minnesota a 24-16 win that felt like it should have been more convincing.
For many fans, this next week determines how this Vikings season will go.
Heading up the Buffalo to face one of the only seemingly dominant teams, it appears this will be the game to show Minnesota’s true colors. The Bills, coming off a 17-20 against the New York Jets, have been rock solid all season. At 6-2, they just barely have the lead in a loaded AFC East in which every team is above .500.
The Bills have the upper hand in every major statistical category — points scored, points allowed, yards gained, yards allowed, and that does not mention the players themselves.
The league is already aware of the connection between quarterback Josh Allen and former Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Allen has played the Vikings once before in his career when he won a 27-6 blowout in 2018. Diggs, however, is set to play Minnesota for the first time since being traded from the team before the 2021 season, a move that gave the Vikings the pick they would end up using to select standout receiver Justin Jefferson.
Alongside the stars, the Bills have an all-around consistent offense that the Vikings could struggle to compete with, especially considering Minnesota’s lack of depth in the secondary. The Vikings will likely have to win a shootout if they want to have any chance in the game.
However, Minnesota could catch a huge break if speculation from Monday is true. A report from ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said that Josh Allen is being evaluated for a potential ligament injury suffered against the Jets, which would be a massive blow to the Buffalo offense.
There has been no word yet on Allen’s status for the game, but if he ends up not playing, the Vikings in theory should have a much easier time against the AFC powerhouse.
