Winners, losers as Bills top Vikings 23-6 on Monday Night Football

NFL Winners, losers as Bills top Vikings 23-6 on Monday Night Football Josh Allen and Co. eventually pulled away as a Carson Wentz-led Minnesota offense clearly lacked quality. By Sanjesh Singh • Published 17 minutes ago • Updated 16 minutes ago And that's the difference of having a proper quarterback. In a battle of two 6-1 teams, the Buffal o Bills went into Minnesota and came away with a 23-6 win over the Vikings. Watch NBC Bay Area News free wherever you are WATCH HERE Josh Allen was always favored to outduel Carson Wentz, but it turned out to be much more lopsided than expected. Buffalo's goal to be atop the AFC remains on track with a gritty victory, while Minnesota, despite its defensive ceiling, has serious questions to address on offense. Let's break down the Week 9 concluder further with winners and losers: MORE NFL COVERAGE NFL Nov 8 NFL Week 9 winners and losers: Packers rout Patriots, 49ers claim Bay Area San Francisco 49ers 7 hours ago NFL reinstates WR Brandon Aiyuk, grants 49ers a two-week roster exemption Philadelphia Eagles 7 hours ago A blockbuster! Eagles trade Jordan Davis to Jaguars for 1st- and 2nd-round picks WINNER: Margins Two robust defenses collided. The difference was that one offense had the talent of Allen and James Cook, while the other did not. Allen didn't have the best game against an elite Minnesota side, but he completed 21 of 31 passes for 234 yards, one touchdown and one pick. James Cook also rushed for 107 yards and a score, but it didn't come easy, as he carried the rock 31 times. For Minnesota, Wentz struggled mightily, while Jordan Mason led the running department with 35 yards on six carries. Minnesota is still 6-2, but it doesn't have enough needle-moving talent on offense in big games. First NFL TD for Keleki Latu! BUFvsMIN on ESPN⁰Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/U3vDqUzhVC — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2026 LOSER: Carson Wentz, Vikings This was arguably the worst veteran QB display of the season. Wentz, 33, looked completely out of it. He completed just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards, no touchdowns and two picks. He arguably should've been picked off more had Buffalo been more ruthless. Raw prospect Max Brosmer came in late and rattled off 6 of 7 completions for 58 yards to move the ball more smoothly, but the game was already done. Minnesota may need QB help at the deadline as Murray remains sidelined due to a hamstring strain. Terrel Bernard's turn to get an INT! BUFvsMIN on ESPN⁰Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/uFYeV8aTc9 — NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2026 WINNER: Time of possession If you have to grind out a win, it helps to have the ball as much as possible. Buffalo's defense ensured that would be the case, helping win on the margins. Allen and the offense dominated the time of possession, owning the ball for 42 minutes and 32 seconds. It was the complete opposite for a Minnesota side that failed to move the chains and sustain drives, accumulating just over 17 minutes with the ball. As good as the Vikings' defense is, no unit can sustain that amount of time defending before eventually bleeding points. LOSER: Justin Jefferson, Vikings It's shaping up to be another disappointing season output wise for Jefferson. The star wideout was targeted 11 times, but caught just three passes for 58 yards. A few of those came with the game wrapped up. He just barely surpassed the 1,000-yard receiving mark last season, but proper QB play has been an issue for the 27-year-old star for the second year running. His body language was definitely being analyzed, though it's difficult seeing him want a trade at this stage of the season. The offseason may be timely, though, if Minnesota's ceiling holds true. He's too good to be in this situation. Justin Jefferson encouraging Carson Wentz on the sidelines 👏 pic.twitter.com/W2Ry4xBbhh — ESPN (@espn) November 10, 2026 WINNER: Brian Flores, Vikings Defense wins championships. Despite the result, it gets clearer each week that Minnesota has built a Super Bowl-worthy defensive lineup. Coordinator Brian Flores is most responsible for the work, which includes a versatile blitz-heavy scheme. But the quarterback under center matters just as much, especially when trying to win on the margins. A healthy Kyler Murray helps slightly, but Minnesota's ceiling this season is highly contingent on Flores' game plan each week. This game could've been a Vikings win with better QB play due to their defense limiting Allen, until eventually breaking. From Von Miller's two sacks in Super Bowl LVI to Mecole Hardman's game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl LVIII, these five midseason NFL acquisitions helped their teams capture a championship. This article tagged under: NFL Buffalo Bills