Defensively, the Vikings have been one of the NFL's best in getting opponents of the field. According to NFL Media Research, through the first eight weeks of the season, Minnesota ranked fourth in the league in defensive three-and-out rate, forcing its opponents into that scenario on 25.7% of their drives.
On the offensive side of the ball, though, Minnesota has struggled in the same category. Despite ranking fifth in time of possession after eight weeks (31:31), the Vikings had an offensive three-and-out rate of 28.9%, according to Next Gen Stats. Only the Philadelphia Eagles and the Denver Broncos had a higher rate during that span.
The first half of Minnesota's Monday Night Football tilt against Buffalo followed a similar blueprint. Brian Flores' Vikings defense tormented Bills quarterback Josh Allen early; during Buffalo's first six drives, Allen went 4-of-9 passing for 31 yards with an interception and a passer rating of 13.9 against the blitz. He was pressured seven times (sacked thrice), as the Bills only generated 63 yards of offense and three points.
Meanwhile, the Vikings offense — with Carson Wentz starting in place of Kyler Murray after Murray experienced hamstring soreness during Minnesota's loss at Detroit in Week 8 — couldn't get in a groove. Minnesota's first six drives resulted in four punts (three three-and-outs), an incompletion that turned into a fumble after a review, and a Will Reichard field goal from 43 yards.
View game action photos from the Vikings Week 9 Monday Night Football game against the Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium.
The ensuing possessions for each team were an accurate and unfortunate representation of how the remainder of the game would play out. Allen capped off an eight-play, 80-yard drive for Buffalo by moving around the field for 6.07 seconds (per Next Gen Stats) before heaving a 25-yard touchdown pass to Keleki Latu in the back of the end zone. Minnesota answered with a 53-yard field goal by Reichard to close the first half, but failed to get on the scoreboard after that, as Buffalo earned a 23-6 victory.
Not only were the Vikings unable to find the end zone for the third time in eight games, Minnesota didn't convert a single third down on the evening (0-of-8). Monday's outing marked the fourth time in franchise history and the first since Week 16 of the 2013 season in which Minnesota hasn't converted a third down over the course of a game.
The loss not only knocked Minnesota (6-2) out of first place in the NFC North, it pushed the team back in this week's Power Rankings, with the biggest movement being five spots. Here's a look at where the Vikings landed heading into Week 10:
No. 11 (down 2 spots): Nick Shook – NFL.com
If Minnesota paired competent quarterback play with this legendary defense, the Vikings would be the NFC favorite to win the Super Bowl, full stop.
No. 9 (down 3 spots): Kris Knox – Bleacher Report
The Minnesota Vikings have a championship-caliber defense. If that was in question before Monday night, the unit's performance against the vaunted Buffalo Bills offense should erase any doubt.
Unfortunately, Minnesota's offense has been in flux all season. The ground game has been average at best, and Minnesota's quarterback play has been far worse than that.
No. 11 (down 5 spots): Pete Prisco – CBS Sports
The defense is special. The offense is a disaster.
No. 11 (down 3 spots): Nate Davis – USA Today
This ranking feels too generous. But here's hoping [the Vikings] don't waste one of the better defenses we've seen this century.
No. 10 (down 2 spots): Josh Kendall and Chad Graff – The Athletic
It's hard to knock the Vikings too much since they started 6-0 and have probably the league's best defense. But the offense has been hard to watch.
No. 7 (down 2 spots): Vinnie Iyer – Sporting News
The Vikings went into Monday night's loss to the Bills averaging only 20 points per game, scoring at a pace with some of the league's worst teams. Carson Wentz failed to give them a spark with struggling Kyler Murray out. They can't win the high-scoring NFC North if they can't find more offense soon.
No. 11 (down 5 spots): Frank Schwab – Yahoo! Sports
It's hard to remember the last time a team that was 6-2 with one of the top two defenses in the NFL felt this hopeless. Monday night's performance was absolutely deflating for the Vikings.
The Vikings shouldn't completely fade away because the defense will keep them in every game. That was good enough for a 6-0 start. But the offense is simply too poor for the Vikings to remain in the top 10 of these power rankings.
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