After getting torched for season highs in passing yards (319) and touchdowns (3) by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins last Sunday, the Broncos pass defense ranking fell to … fifth in the league.

Which means, even with a dud second-half performance, there’s still plenty to be bullish about in regards to the Broncos’ secondary. That said, the unit knows it needs to tighten up its game heading into another road showdown Sunday in Buffalo.

“As long as everybody just does their jobs and plays aggressive, then a lot of those things can be eliminated from that last game,” cornerback Chris Harris said. “It’s self-inflicted and it’s something that we’ve got to fix. You don’t want to have those same (coverage) issues lingering two weeks in a row.”

On its best days, such as when the Broncos held Tennessee’s two quarterbacks to a 39.7 rating in Week 6, the team’s secondary has blended an effective mix of veterans (Harris, Kareem Jackson, Justin Simmons, and Will Parks) and eager-to-learn youngsters (Davontae Harris and Duke Dawson). And despite having just five interceptions this year, which ranks 28th, the pass defense has been successful warding off big plays.

Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case against the Vikings. Cousins’ 54-yard fourth-quarter touchdown pass to a wide-open Stefon Diggs was a key in the Vikings’ comeback.

Jackson took fault for the momentum-shifting score. “I have to be in the deep middle (of the field) for (Chris Harris)”, he said. Simmons added that many of the mistakes by the secondary in the second half Sunday were due to a lack of effective communication when the Vikings shifted to an up-tempo offense.

“A big part of what we do (when playing well) is communicate,” Simmons said. “It’s not just like one word and everyone’s set and ready to go. There are multiple things that have to be said, multiple pieces of the puzzle on our back end that have to be in place in order for the whole thing to operate well. You only saw it in spurts (against Minnesota).

“We watched the film (and) a lot of it was missed communication and guys thinking they’re in one (coverage) when we’re in another. We have to be better. That starts in the back end with the safeties.”

On Sunday, the Broncos face a Bills passing attack led by second-year quarterback Josh Allen, the former Wyoming star who has 13 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Outside linebacker Malik Reed said Allen’s ability to run is a concern. Allen has rushed for 331 yards and seven touchdowns this season. Related Articles After Broncos let him walk in free agency, Tampa Bay’s Shaquil Barrett returns to Denver as one of NFL’s best pass-rushers

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“We definitely have to make sure we have great edges in the pass game, and make sure we have eyes on (Allen) when we’re rushing him,” Reed said. “He always has escape routes, so we have to be disciplined in our rush. We don’t want a coverage sack to turn into a big scramble, and that’s what he’s capable of doing.”

As for the big guys up front — where defensive ends Derek Wolfe and Shelby Harris, along with nose tackle Mike Purcell, have the Broncos’ run defense playing stout the past couple months — they have full confidence the secondary’s letdown second half versus the Vikings was a fluke.

“We have to be sound in our technique and assignments on defense, and the front is going to decide the rush while we need those back-end coverage guys to get back to the domination we saw before the second half (against Minnesota),” Purcell said. “We have a bunch of playmakers back there, and young guys playing beyond their age, so we will be fine.”

A look at the passing D

A comparison of Games 1-9 and the Vikings game as the pass defense looks to bounce back: