Kevin O'Connell's most frustrating mistake in the Minnesota Vikings' 23-6 loss to the Buffalo Bills wasn't starting Carson Wentz. It was refusing to lean more on the running game when his quarterback clearly wasn't getting the job done.
Wentz finished Monday night completing just eight of his 25 pass attempts for 81 yards, two interceptions, and an 8.9 passer rating. Abysmal. Minnesota ran the ball only six times, compared to 17 pass attempts in the first half. That's a ridiculous imbalance for an offense struggling to move the football.
The Vikings have now lost two straight after winning their first six games and becoming the NFL's last remaining undefeated team. Minnesota entered Monday already facing questions about its offense after its loss to Detroit.
Against Buffalo, O'Connell had another opportunity to establish a dependable offensive approach. Instead, his third-quarter decision-making showed exactly why Minnesota continues to struggle.
Vikings abandoned their running game at the worst possible moment against the Bills
Minnesota's first possession of the second half ended with Wentz throwing an interception to Dorian Williams after the Vikings advanced into Buffalo territory.
That turnover was ugly, but the next interception was considerably more frustrating from a coaching perspective.
DORIAN WILLIAMS WITH THE INTERCEPTION
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) November 10, 2026
CARSON WENTZ THROWS AN ITALIAN SUB#PMSMNFonESPN2 pic.twitter.com/ytpXZAn6ED
Jordan Mason ripped off three consecutive carries for 24 yards, moving Minnesota across midfield. The offensive line was finally creating running lanes; Mason was finding them, and the Vikings had something resembling a legitimate drive.
O'Connell immediately went back to the passing game.
Wentz responded by throwing an interception to Terrel Bernard, wasting another opportunity to put points on the scoreboard.
Buffalo wasn't an easy opponent to run against, either. The Bills entered Monday ranked ninth in rushing yards allowed, surrendering 97.4 per game and approximately 3.9 per carry.
However, Buffalo's official NFL matchup numbers also showed a defense allowing 352.1 total yards per game, including 254.7 through the air.
Attacking that secondary made sense when entering the game. Continuing to prioritize passing after watching Wentz struggle so badly was another matter entirely.
Mason finished with 35 yards on just six carries. Considering the Vikings' existing backfield workload questions, giving him so few opportunities was particularly maddening.
Nobody's suggesting O'Connell should eliminate passing plays. Buffalo could've adjusted to repeated handoffs, and Wentz deserves to be held accountable for his interceptions.
But Minnesota could've continued feeding Mason, mixed in Aaron Jones, and used play-action or shorter throws to attack defenders anticipating another run.
O'Connell has built his coaching reputation around his passing concepts, but his offense needs to function when the quarterback can't carry it.
With Kyler Murray sidelined, Minnesota needed to prioritize manageable third downs, possession time, and keeping Brian Flores' defense off the field.
The Bills ultimately possessed the football for more than 40 minutes.
Minnesota now travels to Green Bay for an important NFC North matchup. Regardless of Murray's availability, O'Connell needs an early-down rushing plan that gives Mason and Jones meaningful opportunities before the offense becomes dependent on difficult throws.
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