'MNF' takeaways: Bills show Vikings who the real contenders are

The Buffalo Bills improved to 7-1 on Monday with a decisive 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings in the final game before the 2026 NFL trade deadline.

Below, we share our instant reaction to the one-sided affair with one key takeaway, game MVP and more.

Key takeaway: A Tale of Two Units

It was the best of units; it was the worst of units.

Minnesota's Super Bowl-caliber defense was fantastic in the prime-time showdown between 6-1 teams, only to once again be left high and dry by a no-show from the offense.

It's been that way all season, but Monday night may have been a breaking point. The Vikings entered No. 26 in scoring offense (20 points per game) and first in scoring defense (13.3 points per game), and that discrepancy was on full display in the 17-point loss.

Quarterback Carson Wentz was unbelievably poor, throwing multiple off-target passes while finishing an ugly 8-of-25 for 81 yards (3.2 yards per attempt) and two interceptions. The Vikings finished 0-for-8 on third downs and with only 17 minutes and 28 seconds in time of possession. By the fourth quarter, the defense, which was on the field for 79 plays, tired out, allowing a 15-play, 84-yard touchdown drive that gave the Bills a two-touchdown lead.

If there's one blessing for the Vikings, it's that this game of reckoning came a day before the trade deadline, making it clear where Minnesota's priorities need to be ahead of the 4 p.m. ET cutoff. If the Vikings could even muster average quarterback play, with this defense, that could be enough to bring a Lombardi Trophy to the Twin Cities.

Game MVP: Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen

Allen had a brutal matchup going up against the No. 1-ranked defense on the road and without the starting left side of his line, tackle Dion Dawkins (ribs) and guard Alec Anderson (ankle). And for a while, the Vikings made life miserable for the 2024 league MVP, who threw an early interception and struggled to sustain a long series until Buffalo's touchdown drive late in the first half. He capped that possession by rolling out to his right and waiting for tight end Keleki Latu to get open in the back of the end zone for a 25-yard passing touchdown.