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The Buffalo Bills showed their resilience and got major contributions from a few players stepping into bigger roles in Monday night's 23-6 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Despite a slow start offensively, the team found a groove near the end of the first half and didn't look back.
Persevering through adversity
Entering the matchup, the biggest storyline came on the left side of the Bills offensive line. T Dion Dawkins and G Alec Anderson started all seven games together to begin the year, with both guys missing the Week 9 battle due to injury.
T Tylan Grable and G Austin Corbett filled in up front for Buffalo in the win. Taking on the NFL's most efficient pass rush, each lineman proved to be plug-and-play, holding up in both pass protection and in the run game.
"They stepped up tonight. Throughout the week, it was kind of in limbo whether they're going," QB Josh Allen said of the duo. "Whether or not, they took every rep in practice. So they had this mindset of, 'Hey, I'm going.' And they went in there and didn't miss a beat… I'm so proud of how they battled, how they attacked this week. Gives me a lot of trust in them… To go in there against this type of defense and play the way they did; I'm very, very proud of those guys."
"To go on the road in the environment without two of your starters and be able to run the football, be able to possess the ball, speaks to the depth that we have and the confidence that we have in those guys," head coach Joe Brady said. "Obviously there's going to be some plays they want back, like myself, but I'm really proud."
The Bills only mustered three points on their first six offensive drives, totaling just 68 yards. Despite the early struggles against a tough defense, the team showed no quit.
All but one of the five drives after the first six ended with points on the board for Buffalo, with the defense continuing to have success on the other side throughout all 60 minutes.
"There's no panic early in the game when things weren't going our way," Brady said. "Obviously our defense was outstanding, which allowed us to play that type of game. But I'm really proud of the locker room coming on the road in this environment and not blinking and coming out with a victory."
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"I thought we stuck in there," Allen said. "We found a little bit of success on third down; Obviously there's some stuff we want to clean up and obviously don't want to turn the ball over, but I'm proud of how our guys finished at the end there."
Keleki Latu scores the first touchdown of his career
The play that sparked the offensive resurgence came near the end of the second quarter. Allen led his squad down the field to the 25-yard line, looking to find paydirt for the first time of the night.
On first and 10 from the 25, Allen rolled out to his right with plenty of time to survey the field. As he ran out of room near the sideline, he let a deep pass fly toward the back of the end zone to TE Keleki Latu.
Latu had found open space in the Vikings' secondary during the scramble drill, camped out in the end zone with no defenders near him. Allen's pass got there before anyone could interfere, with Latu making the grab for his first career touchdown.
"I just ran my route. I looked back, and I knew he was scrambling," Latu said. "I was like, 'Okay, he's going right. So I've got to go right and get in the end zone. He's gonna throw it up, and I'm going to catch it.'
"I mean, he can make the craziest passes possible. So I was ready for anything. Just be available, be open. And for me, I just want to be in a spot for him to trust me."
Latu is the fourth tight end listed on the Bills' depth chart, with his main role being a special teams standout. The 24-year-old stayed ready for his moment to come offensively, making the most of his chance and cashing in for his team's first touchdown of the night.
Through the first seven games of the season, Latu had yet to tally a catch. He made the most of his first one of the year, giving Buffalo the offensive boost it needed to come away victorious.
"If you talk to anybody on this team, Keleki Latu, especially when he's on that scout team, I mean, you throw it up to him, he's coming down with it," Allen said. "He's a young player that's just gotten better each and every year. He continues to work hard, doesn't complain ever, finds himself in a spot tonight, makes a great play for us, and it's a huge play for us. I've got a lot of trust in him, just as a person, as a player, as a teammate; not many better than him."