Buffalo
Bills
0-1
21
FINAL
16
Minnesota
Vikings
0-2
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Buffalo Bills narrowly defeated the Minnesota Vikings 21-16 in Week 9 of the 2026 season. Both teams fought hard, but the Bills emerged victorious, solidifying their playoff aspirations as the season reaches its midpoint.
Offensively, the Bills showcased a balanced attack, with Josh Allen throwing for one touchdown, while James Cook III led the ground game with an impressive 100 rushing yards. The Vikings' Kyler Murray tried to rally his team with 178 passing yards, but it was not enough to secure the win. Jauan Jennings stood out in the receiving game for Minnesota, racking up 82 yards, yet the Bills' offensive efficiency proved crucial.
Defensively, the Bills made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor. Greg Rousseau led the team with seven total tackles, while Bradley Chubb contributed with two sacks, putting pressure on Murray throughout the game. A pivotal moment came when Maxwell Hairston intercepted a pass, giving Buffalo the opportunity to extend their lead and ultimately secure the victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyler Murray | QB | 32 | 22 | 69% | 178 | 0 | 1 | 69.5 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 31 | 21 | 68% | 178 | 1 | 0 | 93.2 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 19 | 100 | 5.3 | 27 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 8 | 55 | 6.9 | 35 | 2 | 27 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 9 | 39 | 4.3 | 16 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Kyler Murray | QB | 6 | 16 | 2.7 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 5 | 13 | 2.6 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 6 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Demond Claiborne | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | — | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jauan Jennings | WR | 7 | 82 | 11.7 | 12 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 9 | 76 | 8.4 | 6 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 4 | 52 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| T.J. Hockenson | TE | 4 | 45 | 11.3 | 9 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 4 | 39 | 9.8 | 13 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Tai Felton | WR | 4 | 34 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Zach Ertz | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jordan Mason | HB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 2 | -1 | -0.5 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Aaron Jones Sr | HB | 1 | -2 | -2.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bradley Chubb | REDG | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jakobe Thomas | SS | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Isaiah Rodgers Sr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dallas Turner | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blake Cashman | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Metellus | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pierre | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Wilson | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caleb Banks | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deone Walker | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Redmond | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davison Igbinosun | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TJ Parker | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Alford | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Reichard | K | 1 | 1 | 1 | 48 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

