Bills survive Vikings pressure to stay perfect

Buffalo defeated Minnesota 23-6 on Monday night to maintain the best record in the American Football Conference. The victory kept the Bills unbeaten at 7-1, while the Vikings dropped to 6-2. This marked Minnesota's second straight loss after a perfect start to the season.

The Vikings defense limited Buffalo to their lowest scoring output of the year. They held the Bills to under 2 yards per play, a figure well below the team's league-leading average. Despite this defensive effort, Minnesota could not stop the clock. Buffalo controlled the ball for 42 minutes and 32 seconds. The Bills ran 58 offensive plays before the final period began.

Quarterback Josh Allen managed the game without starting left tackle Dion Dawkins, left guard Alec Anderson, or receiver Joshua Palmer. Allen completed 234 yards of passing with one touchdown and one interception. He targeted ten different receivers and used his mobility to extend plays. The coaching staff utilized their tight ends heavily as blockers to open running lanes for James Cook III.

Cook carried the ball 31 times for 107 yards and a touchdown. This was only the second time in his career he had attempted more than 30 rushes. He found the end zone in the fourth quarter to secure the lead. During a third-quarter series, both Cook and Allen crossed the 5,000 career rushing yard mark. Allen became the fifth quarterback in history to reach that total.

Tight end Keleki Latu provided a crucial scoring play late in the first half. He caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Allen in the end zone for his first professional score. Before this game, Latu had only one reception for 4 yards in two seasons. Minnesota quarterback Kirk Cousins completed 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards. He threw two interceptions and posted an 8.9 passer rating.

Coach Kevin O'Connell replaced Cousins with Max Brosmer late in the fourth quarter. The home crowd, which had booed Cousins repeatedly, approved of the switch. Research indicates Cousins had the highest off-target rate in the league at 38%. His completion rate without pressure was the lowest at 36%. These numbers create uncertainty for Minnesota ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline.

Buffalo travels to New York to face the Jets on Sunday. Minnesota plays Green Bay and San Francisco before the month ends. The Vikings also face a decision regarding Kyler Murray's return from a hamstring injury.