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After pretty much not showing up for the first half of their Week 3 contest against the Buffalo Bills, the Minnesota Vikings received the opening kickoff of the second half, staring at a 27-0 deficit. Mike Hughes got the ball to the Minnesota 21-yard line to set the Vikings up for their first drive of the third quarter. It looked like the Vikings would once again go three-and-out, but the Bills were called for a penalty when Tre’Davious White was flagged for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Adam Thielen to keep the drive going. As the Vikings approached midfield, however, Kirk Cousins was sacked for the fourth time on the day to end the drive. Matt Wile punted it away, and the Bills took over at their own 20-yard line.
Buffalo went three-and-out on their next possession, highlighted by a sack of Josh Allen by Stephen Weatherly. Mike Hughes almost fumbled away the punt return opportunity, but the Vikings recovered at midfield, and a penalty on the Bills gave Minnesota possession in Buffalo territory for the first time on the day at the 42-yard line.
Minnesota went for it right away, but a pass from Cousins to Stefon Diggs that could have been a touchdown fell incomplete. On the next play, Cousins tried to hit Latavius Murray, who got smashed by a Buffalo defender and had the ball bounce up into the air. It landed in the hands of Matt Milano. . .who, unfortunately, plays for the Bills, making it a turnover for the Vikings to end their best opportunity thus far.
Minnesota did force a punt, and took over inside their own 5-yard line. After one first down, the Vikings’ offense stalled once again, as Jerry Hughes blew past Riley Reiff on back-to-back plays to force bad throws.
The Vikings defense forced a three-and-out at the end of the quarter, and as we move to the fourth quarter of play the Vikings are looking at first-and-10 from their own 32-yard line.
I’m out of words, ladies and gentlemen. The Minnesota Vikings are getting positively annihilated by the Buffalo Bills at home, 27-0, going into the fourth quarter of play. Stay tuned for the post-game recap and what might be the easiest Stock Market Report in SMR history.