Bills top punchless Vikings on ‘‘Monday Night Football’’

Bailey Hillesheim/AP SHARE COPY LINK Share CLOSE Twitter Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit Flipboard MINNEAPOLIS — Josh Allen threw a touchdown pass with 44 seconds left before halftime, James Cook rushed 31 times for 107 yards and a late score, and the Buffalo Bills beat Minnesota 23-6 on Monday night, sending Vikings deeper into their unrelenting offensive slump. Linebackers Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams had interceptions and Tyler Bass made four field goals to stretch his franchise-record streak to 25 straight as the Bills (7-1) matched their best eight-game start since 1993. That season ended with their last of four straight Super Bowl losses. With Kyler Murray sidelined by a hamstring injury, Carson Wentz started at quarterback for the Vikings (6-2) and didn’t finish what became one of the worst performances of his 11-year career. Wentz went 8 for 25 for 81 yards and three turnovers, including a backward pass in the first quarter that was thrown too high for even Justin Jefferson to catch it — resulting in a lost fumble near midfield. Wentz, who was checked out in the medical tent at one point for an apparent lower leg injury, was replaced by Max Brosmer midway through the fourth quarter. Wentz completed 1 of 8 passes in the second half. The battle of Buffalo’s highest-scoring offense in the league against the least-scored-on defense might well have gone to Minnesota had the offense been able to muster a decent drive or two. But the Vikings had four straight possessions in the first half start beyond their 40-yard line, and the furthest they made it was the Bills 48. The Vikings as usual sent blitzers at Allen from every angle possible, recording four sacks and an interception of a heave into the end zone that Byron Murphy ran down and returned 55 yards. But the Bills eked out just enough in the first half to give themselves a cushion, when Allen found tight end Keleki Latu open in the back of the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown as he rolled right and was hit hard by Andrew Van Ginkel. Allen matches Manning’s 10-year touchdown mark With 322 regular-season touchdowns — 232 passing, 88 rushing and two receiving — Allen tied Peyton Manning for the most in NFL history over a player’s first 10 years. Allen is halfway through his ninth season. Injury report Bills: Starting LT Dion Dawkins (ribs) and starting LG Alec Anderson (ankle) were inactive. Vikings: WR Jauan Jennings (calf) and FS Theo Jackson (quadriceps) were inactive. SHARE COPY LINK Share CLOSE Twitter Facebook Bluesky Email Reddit Flipboard AP Associated Press Next Up In NFL Bears QB Caleb Williams must use four-interception game vs. Buccaneers to keep growing Bears' Ben Johnson on trade deadline: 'We’ll see if there is another move or two to be made' Bucs QB Baker Mayfield accuses Bears of mimicking his cadence Bears' Cairo Santos 'had to have my teammates’ backs' with game-winner Halas Intrigue podcast: Slopfest Bears defense saves the day vs. Buccaneers