Vikings at Crossroads: Will They Trade for QB Before Deadline?

The Minnesota Vikings lost 23-6 to the Buffalo Bills on Monday night at U.S. Bank Stadium, dropping their second consecutive game and falling to third place in the NFC North.

Carson Wentz completed just eight of 25 passes for 81 yards, throwing two interceptions and recording an 8.9 passer rating. His 2.3 QBR was the lowest for any quarterback this season. The defeat dropped the Vikings after they opened the year with consecutive wins.

The Buffalo defense held Minnesota to nine first downs and zero third-down conversions on eight attempts. Buffalo also forced three turnovers, recorded multiple sacks, and kept Minnesota below 200 total yards. The Bills defense matched a feat last accomplished by the 1985 Chicago Bears by achieving those defensive metrics in consecutive games.

Josh Allen and running back James Cook fueled the Buffalo offense. Cook carried the ball 31 times for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Allen threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to rookie tight end Keleki Latu. That scoring pass tied Allen with Peyton Manning for 322 career regular-season touchdowns. The victory improved Buffalo’s record to 7-1 for the first time since 1993.

Minnesota struggled to sustain drives, holding possession for only 17 minutes and 28 seconds. The Vikings’ 11 touchdowns this season are tied with the winless Los Angeles Chargers.

Asked after the game whether calling plays has ever felt as challenging, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters, “No.” O’Connell deferred questions about potential quarterback additions before the trade deadline to general manager Nolan Teasley.

The NFL trade deadline arrives Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. ET. O’Connell stated that the front office has held dialogue about various positions, but kept his focus on the loss to Buffalo. Tight end T.J. Hockenson and several teammates remained in full uniforms in the locker room following the final whistle.

“We've had dialogue about a lot of different positions. And tight turnaround obviously playing the Monday night game before that, and we'll get right to work on any potential moves that can be there. But really just focused on the game tonight, which was not good enough in any way, shape, or form,” Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said.

More on this story: NFL contenders weigh roster moves ahead of November 10 trade deadline