Buffalo
Bills
2-5
49
FINAL
62
Minnesota
Vikings
0-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 9 showdown, the Minnesota Vikings outlasted the Buffalo Bills with a final score of 62-49, keeping their playoff hopes alive in the 2026 season. Both teams were looking to bolster their standings, but it was the Vikings who emerged victorious in this high-scoring affair.
Offensively, Cole Payton of the Bills showcased a stellar performance, throwing for 313 yards and five touchdowns, leading an explosive passing attack. Buffalo's Khalil Shakir also made his mark, racking up 165 receiving yards, but it was Aaron Jones Sr. of the Vikings who stole the show on the ground, rushing for an impressive 161 yards to help secure the win.
Defensively, the Vikings were bolstered by Jakobe Thomas, who made a crucial interception that shifted the momentum in their favor. Despite a strong effort from the Bills, including Christian Benford's four tackles and TJ Parker's sack, the Vikings' ability to force turnovers proved decisive. A pivotal moment came late in the game when Thomas's interception thwarted a potential game-tying drive, sealing the victory for Minnesota.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Payton | QB | 14 | 9 | 64% | 313 | 5 | 3 | 107.7 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 22 | 13 | 59% | 241 | 4 | 0 | 136.5 |
| Kyle Allen | QB | 3 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 1 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 16 | 161 | 10.1 | 34 | 4 | 48 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 8 | 105 | 13.1 | 50 | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 22 | 95 | 4.3 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Cole Payton | QB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Miles Boykin | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 3 | 165 | 55.0 | 94 | 3 | 73 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 5 | 130 | 26.0 | 16 | 1 | 34 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 1 | 79 | 79.0 | 68 | 1 | 79 | 0 |
| Miles Boykin | TE | 5 | 58 | 11.6 | 35 | 3 | 20 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 13 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 1 | 48 | 48.0 | 48 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 26 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| TJ Parker | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jamal Adams | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Matt Milano | WILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zane Durant | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Alford | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damar Hamlin | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| James Pierre | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Hancock | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Bass | K | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Will Reichard | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |

