The Bills spent a primetime Monday Night Football contest in Minneapolis showing what they are capable of against the NFL's best defense.
Buffalo beat the Vikings 23-6 and held the ball for 42:32 minutes to dominate time of possession, and left town alone atop the AFC at 7-1 in the process.
The 23 points were the Bills' fewest this season, but the most Minnesota has surrendered in 2026 as well, against a defense that came into the night allowing 13.3 a game, the lowest in the NFL.
For quarterback Josh Allen, keeping his head in the game and things in perspective has translated to winning, even when facing challenges along the way.
"It's just a mindset of going out there and not being result driven, going out there and being process driven and understanding
what they're trying to do," Josh Allen said. "At the end of the day, having fun playing the game of football. Bad play early on, wipe it. Next drive, let's go. Just finding the joy in the game itself and having fun with my teammates."
The 2024 NFL MVP went 21-of-31 and threw for 234 yards, one touchdown and one interception, finishing with an 87.3 rating. He carried six times for 15 yards and was sacked four times, three of them before halftime.
Buffalo played the game without the left half of its offensive line. Dion Dawkins (ribs) and Alec Anderson (ankle) both sat out, sliding Tylan Grable to left tackle and Austin Corbett to left guard, and the Bills placed Joshua Palmer on injured reserve with a hamstring injury earlier in the week.
Minnesota's blitzes arrived from every gap and the Vikings kept attacking the pocket. Allen answered with quick screens, scramble-drill extensions, and wide ranging distribution as he targeted 10 different receivers on the night.
That kept the Vikings' defense chasing. Minnesota got 17:28 of possession, the shortest stretch in franchise history, and went 0-for-7 on third down thanks to another strong performance by the team's defense for the second consecutive week.
"We had some communication breakdowns," head coach Joe Brady said. "We had some penalties to take us out, we controlled the time of possession and we had opportunities in favorable field position. We didn't capitalize on it, but I thought that in the second half, some of those long drives, being able to stay on the field, kind of wearing them down."
The second half brought the payoff. Keleki Latu caught a 25-yard touchdown with 44 seconds left before the break, his first NFL score on his first target of the season. James Cook then carried 31 times for 107 yards, finishing a 15-play, 8:32 drive with a five-yard touchdown that turned a one-possession game into a Buffalo win.
It's the fourth straight victory for the Bills, and the club's eight-game start matches the their best since 1993, when they went to the Super Bowl.
The Bills head to MetLife Stadium next Sunday to face the Jets in New Jersey.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Bills' Joe Brady mentions 'communication breakdowns' vs. Vikings
