Bills Today: What the Bills need to do to defeat the Vikings according to PFF

1 – What the Bills need to do to defeat the Vikings according to PFF?

Going up against the 1-0-1 Minnesota Vikings won't be an easy task for Buffalo in Week 3. Head coach Sean McDermott knows this, as he's been crafting a game plan to combat the dynamic Vikings throughout the week. Pro Football Focus has offered their two cents on what McDermott's game plan should look like.

PFF thinks that protecting Josh Allen will be crucial for Buffalo this weekend. The outlet notes that the Bills have allowed quarterback pressure on over 25 percent of their passing plays and that Allen has been pressured on over 40 percent of his dropbacks.

Capitalizing on red zone opportunities will also be critical for the Bills on Sunday, according to PFF. Minnesota's defense pressured the opposing quarterback on 50 percent of red zone snaps last season.

Preventing Kirk Cousins from throwing the deep ball is something that PFF thinks Buffalo should and can do on Sunday. According to the outlet, the Bills were extremely efficient in stopping deep passes in 2017.

It'll be fascinating to see if [Cousins] can get the deep ball going against the Bills defense on Sunday, as they allowed a passer rating of just 39.9 on throws targeted 20 or more yards downfield last year – the best mark among defenses.

2 – How wide receivers are developing chemistry with Josh Allen

Josh Allen spread the ball around quite a bit in Buffalo's Week 2 matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers.

In his first career start, Allen connected with 10 different players for completions. This is especially impressive when one considers that Allen saw limited time with the first team in training camp and the preseason.

In order to develop a rapport with his targets, Allen often worked with his receivers after practice in camp and preseason. He has continued to do this as Buffalo's starting quarterback.

"Whether it was in the preseason or training camp and stuff like that, I was staying after and making sure I was throwing with all these guys," Allen told One Bills Live. "Now it's just like, 'man, he ran five go routes today. He's pretty tired, he's pushing it.' Maybe not throwing after practice, but still just trying to find one or two or three routes with these guys that maybe we didn't hit in practice or I felt like we needed to work on the timing in this one. It's crazy how hard our guys work."

The Bills enter Week 3 with a 0-2 record. Allen and his teammates, however, aren't at all worried. The 22-year-old likes the energy present in Buffalo's locker room.

"There's no panic right now," Allen said. "There's none. It's actually a really good vibe in the locker room right now. We're still just trying to trust the process that Coach McDermott has in front of us. Trust in each other. We're developing stronger relationships and bonds in the locker room every day. It's a really good environment, we've got some really good leaders on this team. I'm super blessed to be on this team."

3 - Vikings defensive coordinator thinks Josh Allen poses a 'challenge'

Through his six quarters as an NFL quarterback, Josh Allen has shown promise.

He's shown off his highly touted arm strength on a number of occasions. He's showcased his athleticism, as well, as he's rushed for 58 yards and five first downs.

Though Sunday's game will be Allen's second start as a professional, opposing defensive coordinators are already having a difficult time planning for him. Minnesota Vikings coordinator George Edwards feels as though the Bills have already done a nice job in surrounding Allen with weapons that fit his playing style.

"I see a guy that's got a strong arm, he's very mobile in the pocket," Edwards said. "He's got a lot of scrambles where he's picked up first downs throughout the course of the preseason and these first two games, so he'll be [a] challenge for us. We're excited about the challenge, but again, this is going to be his second start. They've got some things offensively that they gear towards his skill set. He's very impressive in his ability to get free in the pocket. He's got a pretty good feel for it and being able to throw the ball down the field."

Edwards thinks that Allen's athleticism adds another facet to his game.

"Any time you got a mobile quarterback that can move in the pocket and extend plays down the field, it's definitely a challenge for us," Edwards said. "We've got to do a good job and be disciplined in our rush lanes and in our blitz angles and all those different types of deals as we prepare through the course of the week."