MINNEAPOLIS — At U.S. Bank Stadium on Monday night, Buffalo closed Week 9 with a 23-6 win over Minnesota, according to NFL.com. The Bills got 107 rushing yards from James Cook, who carried 31 times and scored late.
Through the air, Josh Allen went 21 of 31. He threw for 234 yards, hit Keleki Latu for the game’s only passing touchdown and was intercepted once. Tyler Bass, for his part, did not miss: three field goals in three tries.
Buffalo Pulls Away After a Tight First Half
Late in the first quarter, Bass struck first, from 39 yards. Minnesota levelled it in the second, Will Reichard converting from 43.
Then came the half’s only touchdown. With 53 seconds remaining, Allen picked out Latu for 25 yards. For Latu, the catch doubled as a milestone: his first target this season, and the first score of his career.
Minnesota still had time. Reichard drilled one from 53 yards, 43 seconds after Latu scored, cutting it to 10-6 at the break.
After halftime the gap grew slowly. Bass, from 25 yards in the third quarter, made it 13-6.
The drive that settled it ate up 8:32. Buffalo marched 84 yards on 16 plays, and Cook went in from 5 yards for the touchdown.
One last Bass kick, from 52 yards with 4:45 to play, made it 23-6. Reichard finished 2 for 2 for the Vikings, his kicks coming from 43 and 53 yards.
Possession tells much of the story. 42:32 to 17:28 — that was the split. Yardage went Buffalo’s way too, 339 to 178, and first downs ended 22-9. Third down? Minnesota did not convert one: eight tries, eight failures.
Wentz Struggles as Vikings Lose Again
What Carson Wentz produced, in the end, was this: 81 yards from 25 attempts, eight completions in all, two of them intercepted. Put the rating beside it — 8.9 — and NFL Research’s note follows: no quarterback attempting 25 or more passes had posted one that low since 2019.
Late on, Minnesota turned to Max Brosmer. He missed once in seven throws and picked up 58 yards.
Jefferson’s line was 58 yards as well: three catches, though he was targeted 11 times. As a team on the ground, Minnesota got 51 yards, no more.
Both of Buffalo’s interceptions of Wentz came in the third quarter — Dorian Williams first, then Terrel Bernard. There was an early turnover, too: Greg Rousseau came up with a Wentz fumble in the first quarter, and Byron Murphy picked off Allen for Minnesota.
Since 1993, Buffalo had not started a season 7-1. That is where this win leaves them, through eight games. Minnesota’s start ran the other way: six wins, then two losses in a row, and a 6-2 record.
Sunday, Nov. 15 brings a trip to the New York Jets for Buffalo. Minnesota, meanwhile, heads to Green Bay to play the Packers that day.
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