It took just three hours for the Vikings to transform from a Super Bowl contender to the worst team in the NFL – at least for one week – as they got obliterated by the Buffalo Bills at home.
Final score: Bills 27, Vikings 6.
Basically, everything went haywire after defensive tackle Linval Joseph was flagged for an unnecessary roughness penalty that gave the Bills life on the opening drive of the game, and rookie quarterback Josh Allen made them pay by finishing a nine-play, 75-yard drive with a nine-yard touchdown run.
Minnesota followed with back-to-back turnovers – both fumbles by Kirk Cousins – to which Buffalo turned into a 17-0 lead.
But Cousins probably isn’t the one to blame. He was under extreme pressure all game as the offensive line protecting him looked what we imagine five pieces of gum trying to hold together a leaky Niagara Falls Dam would look like.
Fortunately, new kicker Dan Bailey looked great. He was 0-for-0 on field goals and 0-for-0 on extra points, in addition to conducting a perfect onside-kick that the Vikings bumbled out of bounds for a penalty.
Laquon Treadwell had one of the best performances of his career by hauling in all four of his targets for 33 yards. That’s right, Treadwell didn’t drop any passes (contract extension?).
The last time the Vikings were shut out at home was Oct. 7, 1962 against the Chicago Bears. Thanks to a touchdown to Kyle Rudolph late in the fourth quarter, the streak has been extended to 429 games.
Now the Vikings get to prepare for Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles against the high-powered Rams.
