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Max Brosmer checks in at quarterback
Brosmer is an undrafted veteran with no touchdown passes and four interceptions across his seven NFL games.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen got the better of Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' defense, with Buffalo winning 23-6 on ''Monday Night Football" to wrap up Week 9.
This matchup featured Allen and his Bills attack, the league's No. 1 scoring offense (33.3 points per game) entering Week 9, against Flores' No. 1 scoring defense entering Week 9 (13.3 points per game allowed). In the 21st century, when teams leading the NFL in scoring offense and scoring defense have met in Week 9 or later, the squad with the No. 1 offense had won seven of the nine showdowns. The record is now 8-of-10 in favor of the offense after Monday night.
The Vikings defense thrived early, intercepting Allen on an end zone heave. He thought he had his top target, DJ Moore, open in the end zone on a third-and-23 from the Vikings' 36, but Minnesota's disguise defense fooled him. Vikings cornerback Byron Murphy undercut the pass for an interception, and he then returned the takeaway 54 yards down to the Vikings' 47. Late in the first half, Allen rolled to the right to displace the Vikings' disguise defense, and he found backup tight end Keleki Latu for his first career touchdown from 25 yards out. That gave the Bills a 10-3 lead with 44 seconds left in the first half.
Buffalo eventually wore down the Vikings' defense by sustaining drives, something Minnesota's offense couldn't do. They failed to move the chains on all eight of their third downs. That allowed running back James Cook to eventually batter the Vikings' tired defense to the tune of 107 yards rushing and a touchdown, from five yards out with 6:17 to play to make the score 20-6, on 31 carries. Allen finished the game with 234 yards passing, a touchdown and an interception on 21 of 31 passing. The Bills won the time-of-possession battle by nearly 30 minutes, 42:32 to 17:18. The 17:18 time of possession was the Vikings' worst in the past 40 years.
On the other side of the ball, Carson Wentz, filling in for an injured Kyler Murray (grade 2 hamstring strain), struggled mightily. He completed just 8 of his 25 throws for 81 yards passing and 2 interceptions. Wentz was as inaccurate as his box score would indicate, sailing throws over his intended targets over and over again. His 32% completion percentage, 81 passing yards, 3.2 yards per pass attempt and 8.9 passer rating are all the worst by any quarterback in a game this season among 233 individual quarterback games with 25-plus pass attempts through the first nine weeks of 2026. Wentz's 32% completion percentage is also tied for the worst in a game in Vikings history.
The Vikings finished the game with just 178 total yards of offense. Their second-half drives ended with two interceptions, both coming on their first two possessions of the third quarter, a punt and two turnovers on downs. With 4:40 left to play, the Vikings subbed in undrafted veteran Max Brosmer at quarterback, and he completed six of his seven throws for 58 yards. Minnesota probably should've made that switch at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Bills hang on to the AFC's top seed with a 7-1 record through nine weeks, while the Vikings tumble to the NFC's No. 6 seed with a 6-2 record, with losses in each of their last two games.
Takeaways
The Vikings need to trade for old friend Kirk Cousins
Minnesota is 6-2 with the NFL's best defense, and one of the best wide receivers in the league in Justin Jefferson. It would be criminal for the franchise to waste that talent by maintaining the Russian roulette quarterback rotation of Murray, Wentz and Brosmer.
That's why they need to pick up the phone and trade for former franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins. Yes, he is 38 years old and fresh off throwing three interceptions in a 38-17 loss at the San Francisco 49ers in Week 9, but his 20 passing touchdowns are the second most in the entire NFL -- three behind Joe Burrow's 23 and one ahead of Jordan Love's 19. Cousins played in O'Connell's Vikings offense, and in his sole healthy season, he was a Pro Bowler and led Minnesota to a 13-4 record with an NFC North title in 2022. He could be plugged into Minnesota's starting lineup right now and go right back to force-feeding Jefferson the football. That year, Jefferson won NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors while leading the league in targets (184), catches (128), receiving yards (1,809) and receiving first downs (83).
They need to make the deal for Cousins, who shouldn't be incredibly expensive as a 38-year-old rental fresh off a three-interception game. If a deal can't be struck for him, it could be worth the Vikings' time to call the New York Jets about Geno Smith amid New York's 2-7 start. Minnesota has the best special teams expected points added (EPA) per play (0.17), and their defense ranks No. 2 (0.15) in that metric. Offensively, the Vikings are 31st (-0.19). It would be criminal if their front office leaves two-thirds of their football team hung out to dry ahead of the NFL trade deadline on Tuesday.
The Buffalo Bills need to swing a trade for defensive help, preferably in the secondary
The Bills led the NFL in scoring defense with 19.3 points per game allowed from 2021 to 2025 under ex-head coach Sean McDermott, but under first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard, they're allowing 23.4 points per game, ranking 16th in the league. That number has been artificially deflated the last two weeks by facing Baltimore Ravens undrafted rookie third-string quarterback Joe Fagnano and Wentz. On Monday night, Minnesota had open wide receivers throughout the game, but Wentz was unable to find them. That won't be the case against stiffer quarterback competition in the postseason.
After cutting C.J. Gardner-Johnson following his spitting incident, safety is a position of need.
