The Vikings came out of Monday night with a 6-2 record, but the way they got there was ugly enough to raise alarms all over the building. Minnesota’s defense kept fighting, but the offense never gave it much help in a loss to the Buffalo Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium.
That puts the Vikings in a spot where the next chance to clean things up comes quickly. They head to Lambeau Field next Sunday for a Week 10 matchup with the Green Bay Packers.
The biggest problem was impossible to miss: Carson Wentz did not have the answers at quarterback. Anyone expecting him to steady the offense was disappointed almost immediately.
Wentz looked off from the start against Buffalo, and by the time he was pulled in the fourth quarter for Max Brosmer, the damage was already done. He finished 8-of-25 for 81 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions, good for an 8.9 passer rating.
That kind of outing only sharpens the pressure on Minnesota to make a move at quarterback, and fast. Kyler Murray may not be the answer for this season, but Monday made it clear Wentz isn’t either.
The other issue is just as glaring: the run game was there, and the Vikings barely used it. Kevin O’Connell spent the offseason talking about a bigger commitment to the ground attack, and early on it looked like he meant it.
Minnesota had at least 30 rushing attempts in three of its first five games. But over the last two, that approach has faded.
Against Buffalo, the backs averaged 4.6 yards per carry, and Jordan Mason was even better at 5.8 per attempt. Still, Minnesota only handed the ball off 11 times to its running backs. Even with the quarterback struggling drive after drive, the ground game never got the kind of volume it should have.
And that leads to the larger concern hanging over this team. The Vikings’ defense has been carrying a huge load, and it’s one of the main reasons they’re sitting at 6-2. But there’s only so much a defense can absorb when the offense keeps producing short, empty possessions.
If Minnesota keeps stacking up those kinds of drives in the weeks ahead, the tension inside the locker room could start to show. The defense is doing more than its share.
At some point, it needs the offense to give back a little. If that doesn’t happen, changes could follow after the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Vikings Face A Brutal QB Reality As Deadline Pressure Builds
Carson Wentz is set to start Monday night against the Bills with Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring injury, leaving Minnesota to navigate a prime-time matchup with a thinner quarterback room than it would prefer. With the trade deadline drawing closer, the Vikings have at least kicked around the idea of adding help at the position, a sensible thought for a team trying to steady itself while the season keeps moving.
The problem is that the market has not been friendly. The names that naturally come up in a search for quarterback insurance have not been available, and league chatter suggests Minnesota is not aggressively chasing a deal right now anyway. So for the moment, the Vikings are left to ride with what they have and hope the current setup can hold long enough for the deadline to pass without forcing a bigger decision. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Pressure Is Mounting As OConnell Cant Ignore QB Problem
The Vikings are staring at a quarterback conversation they can no longer sidestep after the loss to Buffalo, and Kevin OConnell made clear afterward that any potential move before the trade deadline would run through general manager Nolan Teasley. OConnell also owned up to the teams poor showing and the strain that comes with trying to steer the offense as both head coach and play-caller, a combination that has only sharpened the scrutiny around a position that has been too inconsistent for comfort.
With the deadline approaching, the pressure is no longer just about one bad afternoon but about whether Minnesota can afford to stand pat if it wants to keep the season from slipping further. The options floating around are still only that, options, but the bigger issue is obvious: the Vikings need a better answer under center, and OConnell is now in the middle of a decision that could shape the rest of the year. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Have Found A Quiet Answer To Their QB Depth Problem
The Vikings quarterback room has become a little too familiar with uncertainty, and the latest injury situation has only made the need for extra insurance more obvious. Carson Wentz is set to start, Max Brosmer is next in line, and Minnesota is keeping an eye on the market for another arm who could help stabilize the position if things get any thinner.
One possibility is emerging from Philadelphia, where the Eagles have had their own uneven season and may be willing to listen on a young quarterback with some game experience. Tanner McKee is in the final year of his rookie deal and has started three games, which gives him a profile the Vikings could view as more than just emergency coverage. For a team trying to protect itself against another setback at the most important spot on the roster, that kind of developmental depth has real appeal. [Read more 🡒]