Top 5 Vikings vs. Bills Matchups To Watch In Week 7

Griffen has been Minnesota’s best pass rusher so far, leading the Vikings with four sacks through his first six games. The pressure he is able to generate has helped the Vikings become one of the stronger pass defenses in the league. On the opposite side, Glenn is quietly one of the better left tackles around, so it will bear watching to see who comes out on top.

These are two position groups that have been struggling all season. In the case of Minnesota’s receivers, those struggles have largely been a result of poor QB play. Greg Jennings, Cordarrelle Patterson and Jarius Wright have combined for just one TD catch. Buffalo’s secondary, specifically Leodis McKelvin and Stephon Gilmore, were torched by Tom Brady last week and need to put in better performances.

While not outstanding, Orton has been a clear upgrade at QB over EJ Manuel for the Bills. His main problem has been costly turnovers, especially interceptions, which is where Smith has excelled thus far. Smith leads the Vikings with three interceptions and has been making plays all over the field. He will be tasked with playing center field to sniff out any potential big plays.

The Vikings’ offensive line was absolutely dominated by the Detroit Lions’ defense last week in the team’s 17-3 loss. Teddy Bridgewater was sacked eight times and the offense as a whole was held to just 212 total yards. They won’t get much of a respite against Buffalo, as the Bills, like Detroit, have one of the best defensive lines in the league. The interior duo of Marcell Dareus and Kyle Williams could cause big problems on Sunday.

Both Marrone and Zimmer need better performances from their respective squads after two disappointing Week 6 losses. Zimmer was very outspoken about his displeasure with his team’s performance last week. A win for either coach would help their team’s playoff chances, while a loss would be disastrous. Whoever devises a better gameplan will most likely come out on top.