Mike Rodak, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

The Film Don't Lie: Bills

A weekly look at what the Buffalo Bills must fix:

The Bills' rushing defense, ranked first in the NFL entering Week 7, allowed the Minnesota Vikings to average 5.4 yards per carry in Sunday's 17-16 win.

Was that a fluke or should the Bills be concerned when they travel to face Chris Ivory and the New York Jets this weekend?

"I think one of the things, uncharacteristically, were the missed tackles," coach Doug Marrone said Monday. "We had about nine missed tackles [Sunday]. That’s a lot of yardage. That’s something we’ve been doing a good job of. We didn’t do that [Sunday]."

No, the Bills did not. The Vikings gained an average of 2.45 yards after contact, the fourth-best mark of any team in Week 7. For comparison, the Bills allowed an average of 1.58 yards after contact through the first six games of the season.

The Vikings had a pair of big runs in the game -- both from deep in their own territory -- that helped boost their average.

First was a 21-yard rumble by fullback Jerome Felton in the first quarter. The Vikings had "22" personnel on the field -- two tight ends and two running backs -- so the Bills countered with a "4-4" defensive look. Defensive end Jerry Hughes was unblocked on the weak side and got caught too far upfield, allowing Felton to cut back. Safety Aaron Williams then missed a tackle to add at least another 10 yards to the run.

Second was a 29-yard run by Jerick McKinnon in the third quarter. Minnesota had the same personnel and formation, and the Bills were still in their "4-4" look. This time, the Bills over-pursued to the weak side -- where Felton found his crease on the first play -- and McKinnon cut back to the strong side. Williams then missed another tackle to allow the bigger gain.

Williams is playing with an injured right wrist, so it's understandable why he would have trouble tackling. But the overaggression on both plays was troubling, as it wasn't a single player at fault.

It's not rocket science, but if the Bills are to get back to their stingy run defense Sunday in the Meadowlands, they'll need to have more discipline in playing their lanes.

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