WK 09 ~Bills @ Vikings Week ~ Discussion, Pressers, News, etc.

With Carson Wentz at quarterback in Week 1 against the Packers, they had 5 touchdown drives:

-7 plays, 85 yards (Good!)
-6 plays, 28 yards
-9 plays, 83 yards (Ref legacy bailout drive)
-1 play, 1 yard
-3 plays, 14 yards

He finished the game 12/19 for 133 yards and 3 touchdowns

— Tyler Forness (@TheRealForno) November 5, 2026

Assessing the Vikings’ QB situation with @tyschmit, plus the latest NFL trade speculation.

🎧 https://t.co/l3Zsa3kiSZ pic.twitter.com/aR7uAFD4Oy

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 5, 2026

Well, a certain WR should be much happier after today's news https://t.co/pW6DjcsByT

— Adam Patrick (@adampatrickNFL) November 5, 2026

Vikings QB carousel: Carson Wentz takes over for Kyler Murray (hamstring).

It's the 14th QB change the Vikings have made in-season since Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles in 2023. Kevin O'Connell declines to address the position beyond this week. https://t.co/rgY1DzdyZE

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 5, 2026

EAGAN, Minn. -- The Minnesota Vikings have once again hopped on their quarterback carousel. Backup Carson Wentz will start Monday night's game against the Buffalo Bills, coach Kevin O'Connell announced Thursday, because starter Kyler Murray is nursing a strained hamstring.

The change marks the 14th time the Vikings have shifted from one quarterback to another during a season, either because of injuries or for performance reasons, since Kirk Cousins tore his right Achilles tendon midway through the 2023 season.

Murray suffered the injury while running on a read-option play early in the fourth quarter of the Vikings' 19-15 loss last Sunday to the Detroit Lions. Murray also struggled to connect with open receivers throughout the game, leaving receiver Justin Jefferson so frustrated that he declined to speak with reporters afterwards.

O'Connell said that putting Murray on injured reserve is not a consideration.

"I don't believe it to be much more than a week-to-week kind of thing right now," O'Connell said. "But for him, his movement skills and the way he plays the game, we do feel like we'd be putting him at risk of possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it is by trying to have him work through it here early on."

Murray scrambled seven times during a Week 4 game against the New Orleans Saints but has run only 13 times in his five remaining starts. But O'Connell said the injury would affect more than simply his ability to run.

"It's more the explosive movements, the quick twitch movements," O'Connell said. "Running is obviously a part of some of that ... but it's more of just the overall ability to impact the game. And ultimately, we could try to say all we want of, 'Hey, you can play, but you just got to stay in the pocket.' But then football starts, and it's an imperfect game where he's going to react and we don't want to make this strain any worse than it is."

Murray missed most of two games earlier this season because of a concussion and his QBR (44.7) ranks No. 26 out of 30 qualified quarterbacks as he plays on a one-year contract. Speaking Monday, O'Connell said that Murray would remain his starter this week if he were healthy. Asked Thursday if Wentz had an opportunity to earn additional starts based on his performance, independent of Murray's health, O'Connell said in part: "It's all about this week for our team."

Wentz has started six games and played most of a seventh since signing with the Vikings in August 2025. The team is 4-3 in those games, during which Wentz has completed 63.9% of his passes for 1,492 yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions.

He has excelled in getting the ball to Jefferson, however. In those seven games, Jefferson has caught 44 passes for 615 yards and two touchdowns.

"[Wentz] is the perfect guy in a moment where you can't have Kyler out there at full strength to go in there," O'Connell said. "And we feel very strongly about when Carson's in there, we're going to get really effective quarterback play."

Excited to see what Wentz can do vs the 30th ranked Pass Def.

— Ben Leber (@nacholeber) November 5, 2026

"Anybody who signs up to go and put themselves through that situation, especially in a wartime situation like that, some people might call that crazy, right? … And it's to helpfully help other people in the world in positive ways. So for Aaron to recognize that, it just means so… pic.twitter.com/x9qMHPm5iQ

— Lindsey Young (@LindseyMNSports) November 5, 2026

"Anybody who signs up to go and put themselves through that situation, especially in a wartime situation like that, some people might call that crazy, right? … And it's to helpfully help other people in the world in positive ways. So for Aaron to recognize that, it just means so much. Somebody at his level SEES me."

Ret. SFC Ben Derek is just one of countless service members who have been impacted by

@Showtyme_33

and his work for military families, which is why the

@Vikings

have nominated him for the NFL's #SaluteToServiceAward

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/JasonHarmonNFL/status/2118414596688252987?a=r2AwFgeUDZLW6xKTnCs&s=20

Wouldn't it be crazy if he chases that SB here after missing out in Philly?

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/WillRagatz/status/2118413619335483745?a=HIRGjimGhluWsOz8p_Q&s=20

If that was the play, this definitely is a soft benching.

greediron wrote:

Wouldn't it be crazy if he chases that SB here after missing out in Philly?

I hadn't even thought of that. That would be crazy.

greediron wrote:

If that was the play, this definitely is a soft benching.

Yep, saw it coming after KOC's presser after the game. When he talked about it, he made it sound like the hammy issue was the reason for his poor play. (paraphrasing what he said ) Kyler mentioned during his presser that it happened in the 4th & did not affect his playing.

I honestly prefer Wentz game over Murrays - I'll take 3 TD's and 2 INT's over 1 TD and 6 punts

The #Vikings first injury report of Week 9 pic.twitter.com/u42w8UQwc4

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 5, 2026

Vanguard83 wrote:

I honestly prefer Wentz game over Murrays - I'll take 3 TD's and 2 INT's over 1 TD and 6 punts

Have you wondered yet why Odell Beckham has not been activated or played yet?

— VikeFans (@VikeFans) November 5, 2026

Cricket wrote:

https://x.com/VikeFans/status/2118139167150309787?a=7itIUNq87wFw76KnssI&s=20

Can he play QB?

Forgot he was even on the PS. We don't need more WRs.

Will Carson Wentz be an upgrade over Kyler Murray for the #Vikings? pic.twitter.com/Qzc9a3uAlF

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) November 5, 2026

The old "sore hamstring" huh.

You know what makes hamstrings sore sometimes? I've seen this over the years.

When you're not playing well week after week, when the star receiver is throwing a fit on the sidelines that's usually the happiest guy in the league, etc.

After this game, just go the the MRI machine & put in Carson's stats. If Carson's stats are bad, that hamstring is going to loosen up; if they're good, it'll stay tight.

I hope kyler recovers from this devastating sore hamstring.

How are we feeling about Carson Wentz starting on Monday? pic.twitter.com/3UDPyiqSex

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) November 5, 2026

Justin Jefferson: "I feel like the potential and the guys that we have in that room is something very, very special. So I feel like we're wasting that if not going out there executing the plays that we have called and just not living to that standard." https://t.co/3FmyYpAMGF

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 5, 2026

Jefferson: "I'm pretty sure all of you guys have looked at it as well and see the amount of potential plays that we had out there. That's kind of been throughout the season so far. It's just trying to be better on offense and try to figure it out fast before it gets too late..." https://t.co/sdgZ1iY0et

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 5, 2026

Kyler Murray (hamstring) won't play this week but Justin Jefferson said the team will "keep riding with him."

Jefferson: "I feel like the plays that are there are plays that he's well capable of making." https://t.co/h7vbvDWR9F

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 5, 2026