The Buffalo Bills appeared to do it the hard way at times, but the end result was just what the doctor ordered.

Going up against the Minnesota Vikings and their vaunted defense on the road, the Bills posted a 23-6 victory on Monday Night Football in the final Week 9 game.

Buffalo's 23 points were the most allowed by Minnesota in eight games this season. Meanwhile, the Bills' defense held their opponent under 200 yards of total offense for the second week in a row albeit against inept quarterbacking.

The Bills (7-1) are far from perfect, but they have yet to lose a road game under first-year head coach Joe Brady and would be the AFC's No. 1 seed if the playoffs began today.

"We haven't done a damn thing yet. We haven't earned anything in this league yet," said Brady following the November 9 win.

While Buffalo still has plenty to prove, they showed a lot on Monday. Here are four main takeaways from the gritty road win.

James Cook's bellcow behavior

Cook wasn't gaining much traction early on, but the Bills' bellcow running back kept pounding. Primarily known for his explosion and acceleration, the reigning NFL rushing champion dug deep against a stingy Vikings' defense.

Carrying the ball 31 times, Cook exceeded the 100-yard mark for the fourth time in eight games. He rushed for 107 hard-earned yards and one touchdown.

Cook eventually wore down Minnesota's defensive front, gaining 47 yards on an important fourth-quarter touchdown drive.

“I mean, that's James Cook," said quarterback Josh Allen, a five-time NFL MVP finalist. "It was awesome to sit back and kind of watch him run, especially late in that drive, and making guys miss and finding his way into the end zone. Again, the more times we can get James Cook the ball, the better we're going to be as an offense."

Bills' defense progresses again

Yes, the opposing quarterback play has been inept to say the least. Still, there's no denying that the communication is crisper and the performance is improved.

Over the past two weeks, the Bills limited the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings under 200 yards of total offense. Furthermore, they forced three turnovers in each win.

Buffalo has allowed only one touchdown and 16 combined points over the two-game clip coming out of the bye week, which allowed defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard a reset of sorts.

With Damar Hamlin and Geno Stone picking up the reps, the safety play appears improved following CJ Gardner-Johnson's release. Meanwhile, inside linebackers Terrel Bernard and Dorian Williams seem more comfortable.

Also, it's worth noting that Leonhard has called the game from the coaches' box the past two weeks, breaking with his pre-bye week approach.

Tyler Bass keeps truckin'

Bass scored 11 points for the Bills, nailing all three field goal attempts to go along with two PATs. He has yet to fail on a field goal try this season.

After missing the entire 2025 campaign due to injury, Bass has returned better than ever. His 19 consecutive successful field goals to start the season stand as a Bills' franchise record.

“This is the only Tyler Bass that I was expecting to get," said Brady. "Like I said, I don't even look at the field goals because I have the confidence in him."

Bass actually made a fourth field goal, splitting the uprights from 54 yards with about 1:00 remaining in the third quarter, but Lloyd Cushenberry was whistled for a false start, so the play never happened.

"T-Bass is doing a really good job. He's playing confidently. And I wish I didn't have to take a field goal off the board for him," said Brady.

Self-inflicted errors must decline

Cushenberry's self-inflicted error is only one on a list of Bills' miscues that could prove costly when the stakes are high. Right tackle Spencer Brown accounted for two pre-snap penalties, moving early on two different second-down plays.

In all, Buffalo committed eight accepted penalties to Minnesota's four. The unforced errors, however, are no less worrisome than Joe Brady's second straight poor first-half performance as Bills' offensive play caller.

The Bills' first three possessions began in Minnesota territory, but yielded only three total points. Brady appeared slow to adjust to the Vikings' heavy pressure and heavy boxes.

In addition to a stubbornness that led to seven run plays over the game's first nine first downs, Brady has occasionally chosen low-percentage calls in short yardage situations.

With the Bills facing a 3rd-and-2 late in first quarter, Brady call a toss left running laterally instead of straight upfield. That strategy failed when Allen tried it on 3rd-and-goal from the 1 against the Ravens, so why not double down? Making his decision more puzzling, this time, he called the play in the direction of two backup lineman with second-string tackle Tylan Grable flagged for holding.

The Bills must exercise greater discipline, and Brady needs to stop over coaching.