MINNEAPOLIS — The Buffalo Bills relied on a suffocating defensive display and steady clock control Monday night, defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23-6 to solidify their hold on the AFC standings.
Buffalo improved to 7-1 on the season behind a balanced attack and relentless pressure, while the Vikings dropped to 6-2 after losing their second straight contest. The matchup between two six-win clubs turned heavily in Buffalo’s favor as Minnesota veteran quarterback Carson Wentz endured one of the roughest outings of his career before being benched in the fourth quarter.
Bills defense locks down Minnesota
With Minnesota starter Kyler Murray sidelined by injury, Wentz made the start but found little room against a Buffalo defense led by coordinator Jim Leonhard. Wentz completed only eight of 25 passes for 81 yards, threw two interceptions, and finished with a passer rating of 8.9, according to ESPN. The home crowd regularly booed the offense as drives stalled, and third-stringer Max Brosmer eventually replaced Wentz in the final quarter.
“I haven’t had many starts over the last couple years in general,” Wentz said, as reported by the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. “This one felt pretty terrible. I’m not going to lie. Yeah, this one wasn’t my favorite, that’s for sure.”
Buffalo’s defense forced three takeaways, including interceptions by linebackers Dorian Williams and Terrel Bernard. Defensive end Greg Rousseau also recovered a fumble after head coach Joe Brady won a challenge when a Wentz throw to Justin Jefferson was ruled a backward lateral. The Vikings managed only nine first downs and 178 total yards while finishing 0-for-10 on combined third- and fourth-down attempts.
“No one cares how pretty it looks,” Brady said of his defense’s recent surge. “Through the good, through the bad, you come out with the dub and then you clean it up.”
Allen and Cook control the tempo
Buffalo’s offense operated without starting left tackle Dion Dawkins and starting left guard Alec Anderson, leading the team to rely heavily on multiple tight-end sets to counter coordinator Brian Flores’ aggressive blitzes. Backups Tylan Grable and Austin Corbett stepped into the line as Buffalo maintained possession for more than 42 minutes.
Josh Allen completed 21 of 31 passes for 234 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. His lone passing score came late in the second quarter on a scramble toward the sideline, where he found fourth-string tight end Keleki Latu for a 25-yard touchdown — the first score of Latu’s career. Kicker Tyler Bass added three field goals to maintain Buffalo’s lead.
Running back James Cook III anchored the ground attack, carrying the ball 31 times for 107 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown to put the game out of reach. It was just the second time in Cook’s career that he reached 30 rushing attempts in a single game.
Uncertain road ahead for Vikings
The loss highlighted growing trouble for Minnesota’s offense despite another resilient performance from its defensive front. ESPN noted that the Vikings became the first NFL team since 1925 to win six of their first eight games while being held without a touchdown in three of them.
With the league’s trade deadline arriving Tuesday, questions linger over whether Minnesota will seek veteran quarterback reinforcements such as Kirk Cousins or Geno Smith while Murray works toward recovery, according to Fox Sports.
