The Minnesota Vikings defense will have a challenging task in their Week 9 game on Nov. 9 against the Buffalo Bills. Moreover, the Vikings defensive unit will have to be prepared for the dual threat of quarterback Josh Allen.
Whether it’s with his arm or his legs, the Vikings defense will need to do its best to limit one or both of Allen’s threats to give the team a chance to secure a bounce-back win after their Week 8 loss to the Detroit Lions.
In a Nov. 8 video, Vikings pass rusher Dallas Turner spoke with Darren Wolfson about Allen and the challenges the Bills star presents.
“Definitely a big mobile quarterback,” Turner told Wolfson. “He’s hard to get back there first. He’s got a very solid offensive line that protects him very well. But I feel like Josh has a lot of physical abilities that a lot of quarterbacks don’t have, from his size to his mental ability to the type of athleticism he has at that position. It’s definitely going to be a challenge.”
Moreover, Turner shared how facing quarterbacks such as Allen changes how he goes about trying to pressure and sack the signal-caller.
“Kind of just being more cognizant and aware of how to rush a quarterback like that, making sure to keep him in the pocket and making sure he doesn’t use his legs to make bigger plays,” Turner added.
Josh Allen Up for the Challenge of Facing Vikings Defense
Meanwhile, Allen understands that the Bills offense is in for a major challenge, as scoring points against the Vikings’ defense is no easy task for an opposing offensive unit.
“They’re the No. 1 defense for a reason, so they’re giving a lot of teams fits, including a lot of good opposing offenses,” Allen told reporters on Nov. 5. “Again, it’s going to be a hard week. We understand that, and we’re excited for the opportunity, especially given where we’re at in the season, kind of midway through.
“Teams are who they are, and it’s going to be an awesome test for our team to fight through the adversity of this game and try to figure it out as we go.”
Brian Flores on Facing Bills QB Josh Allen
Furthermore, Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores has experience facing Allen from when he was in the AFC East with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. As a result, Flores knows the problems that the Bills star can give an opposing defense.
“This is the most, or one of the most, dynamic players in our league,” Flores told reporters on Nov. 3. “He makes a lot of people miss. He breaks a lot of tackles: Big, strong quarterback, huge arm. There’s risk-reward. Pressuring people all the time, every week, and so that’s certainly our play style. I don’t know if we’re going to go too far away from it, but we’re not going to be reckless.
“We’re going to understand that with a guy like this, you can have an unblocked defender, and he can make that guy miss. The rest of the coverage, the rest of the rush, we’ve got to do a great job of working through some extended plays because we’re going to have those. You kind of know that going in. But Josh is one of the best players in our league. This is a testament to his work.”
Vikings’ Dallas Turner Has Candid Words on Bills QB Josh Allen