Coach Kevin O'Connell's Minnesota Vikings welcomed the Buffalo Bills to U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota on a record-setting NFL Trade Deadline week. The Bills were down one of their most important starters, which appeared to bode well for Brian Flores' vaunted defense on a night when Carson Wentz got the start at QB.
The topic of Wentz starting in place of Kyler Murray was up for discussion as former Eagles lineman Jason Kelce spoke about the situation, throwing his support behind the veteran signal caller.
“The game I wanna talk about is my former teammate, he's getting the start here. The Vikings have actually played very well with Carson Wentz, in particular, Justin Jefferson; I know you have a good history with Carson from Indianapolis (Kelce said to Pat McAfee)…When they get these pieces rollin' against the Buffalo Bills, we might be able to see Minnesota sneak one out.”
Wentz had 276 yards passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions heading into Monday Night Football's colossal matchup, giving Vikings fans hope for another mistake-free performance against Josh Allen's Buffalo squad. He had over 1,200 yards with O'Connell's team in 2025 and looked to be recapturing the magic he had with the Colts in 2021, when he threw for over 3,500 yards.
Flores' defense caught the attention of Bills coach Joe Brady, who had a message on facing the tall task. Vikings fans knew Brady and Allen's team would be a handful, but seemed confident ahead of Week 9's final NFL clash. Kelce's vote of confidence came from a player who knew Wentz's game well, giving more good vibes as the two teams prepared to face each other on the gridiron.