Carson Wentz’s chance to step in for the Minnesota Vikings went badly Monday night. Against Buffalo, the quarterback looked far from the experienced player making his 101st NFL start.
Wentz took over after the Vikings said Kyler Murray was dealing with a hamstring injury. Coach Kevin O’Connell called it a week-to-week issue. Minnesota had gone 5-1 with Murray starting earlier in the season, though the offense had struggled at times and the defense often carried the team.
Wentz completed just 8 of 25 passes for 81 yards in a 23-6 home loss to the Bills, and threw two interceptions. That’s a rough line by any measure.
His passer rating was 8.9, the lowest for a quarterback with at least 25 attempts since Sam Darnold recorded a 3.6 rating against New England in 2019. Wentz also completed only 36% of his passes when he wasn’t under pressure, the lowest such rate in the NFL this season.
During the broadcast, Troy Aikman reflected on how much the Vikings’ offense has changed since Darnold left for Seattle. Minnesota’s 2024 offense had been productive, he noted, but the team has looked like a diminished version of itself since then.
The performance came against a Buffalo defense that has allowed 238.8 passing yards per game, fourth-most in the league. If Minnesota turns to Wentz again Sunday, he’ll face a tougher test on the road against Green Bay’s more disruptive defense.
