Monday Night Football in Minneapolis was supposed to be a showdown between two of the NFL's best records. Instead, the Buffalo Bills turned it into a slow, grinding takeover, beating the Vikings 23–6 and holding the ball for more than 42 minutes.
The Vikings were already without Kyler Murray, who's out with a hamstring injury, so Carson Wentz started. It went badly. Wentz completed just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards and was responsible for three turnovers, including a backward pass in the first quarter that bounced away from Justin Jefferson and turned into a fumble. He went 1 for 8 in the second half and was pulled for Max Brosmer midway through the fourth. Linebackers Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams each picked him off. Minnesota finished with only 178 total yards, and Jefferson caught just 3 of the 11 passes thrown his way.
Buffalo didn't do anything flashy. It just kept running. James Cook carried 31 times for 107 yards and added a late touchdown. He summed it up nicely: they stuck with it until it finally broke open. Josh Allen threw for 234 yards and hit tight end Keleki Latu for a 25-yard score right before halftime, though he also threw an interception that Byron Murphy returned 55 yards. Tyler Bass kicked three field goals, stretching his franchise-record streak to 24 in a row.
The big milestone belongs to Allen. He now has 322 regular-season touchdowns, counting passing, rushing, and receiving, tying Peyton Manning's NFL record for the most in a player's first 10 seasons. The Bills are 7–1, their best start since 1993. The Vikings drop to 6–2, and coach Kevin O'Connell put the loss completely on himself.
