Bills at Vikings: NFL's top scoring offense meets its stingiest defense, with Wentz in for Murray

The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings close out Week 9 on Monday with identical records and opposite ways of winning. The Bills average 33.3 points per game, best in the NFL, and have won three straight, most recently a 36-10 rout of Baltimore. The Vikings allow 13.3 points per game, fewest in the league, and have won six times with an offense that averages 20. Their first loss came eight days ago in Detroit (19-15), the game in which Murray first felt the muscle problem that rules him out this week. Carson Wentz will start at quarterback for Minnesota.

• Competition: NFL 2026 regular season, Week 9.
• Matchup: Buffalo Bills (6-1) at Minnesota Vikings (6-1).
• Kickoff: Monday, Nov. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. CT (1:15 a.m. UTC Tuesday, Nov. 10).
• Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Buffalo, the offense everyone chases

The Bills opened the season with wins over Houston (36-31), Detroit (41-31) and the Chargers (24-16), lost 29-26 to New England and have since won at the Los Angeles Rams (37-34 in overtime), at Las Vegas (33-30) and at home against Baltimore. They lead the AFC East.

Josh Allen has thrown for 1,793 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions, and has added nine rushing touchdowns. James Cook averages 101 rushing yards per game (707 in all), has run for a score in six straight games and, according to the Vikings, ranks second in the league with 23 carries of 10 yards or more. Cook led the NFL in rushing in 2025 with 1,621 yards.

The defense, under new coordinator Jim Leonhard and with six new starters, has given up 25.9 points per game but is coming off its best stretch: Las Vegas completed 56% of its passes and Baltimore 46%, the two lowest completion rates Buffalo has allowed this season. Ravens receiver Zay Flowers finished without a catch on five targets. Gregory Rousseau has seven sacks.

Minnesota, a defense that never lets up

Kevin O'Connell's team won its first six games, including a 39-22 victory over Green Bay and a 9-3 win in Chicago, without a dazzling offense: it scores 20 points per game. What carries it is Brian Flores' defense. According to the Bills, Minnesota sends extra rushers on 73% of snaps, the highest rate in the NFL; against Detroit it blitzed on 26 of Jared Goff's 29 dropbacks, the highest single-game rate for any team since 2018. The Vikings have 25 sacks, have recorded at least one in 35 consecutive games and have forced a turnover in every game this season. In the red zone, opponents have scored touchdowns on only 25% of their trips.

Andrew Van Ginkel (6.5 sacks) and Dallas Turner (6) lead that pass rush. Flores described the blitz as a risk-and-reward decision every week and said his defense will not abandon its approach against Allen, though it will not be reckless with it either.

Wentz has already filled in for Murray this season. He came on in Week 1, when the starter left with a concussion, and finished the comeback against Green Bay; a week later he started the 9-3 win in a rainy Chicago. Monday will be the 101st start of his NFL career. "He's a steady presence and a guy we know," O'Connell said. According to team figures, in the seven games Wentz has played for Minnesota, Justin Jefferson averaged 6.4 catches and 89.1 yards; in the other 16 games over that span, 4.2 catches and 47.4 yards.

Injury report

Final official reports from Saturday, Nov. 7.

Buffalo Bills

• Joshua Palmer: out — hamstring. Did not practice all week.
• Dion Dawkins: questionable — rib. The left tackle did not practice on any of the three days. He played hurt for three quarters against Baltimore: "I pushed through it through the Ravens game and I'm trying to push through it for this game as well," he said.
• Alec Anderson: questionable — ankle. Returned to practice on a limited basis Saturday. Austin Corbett is the expected replacement at left guard if he cannot play.
• Greg Gaines: questionable — calf. Limited Saturday after missing two days.
• Jordan Hancock and Tyrell Shavers: questionable — hamstring and knee, respectively.
• DJ Moore and Keon Coleman: no game status — shoulder; limited all three days.
• Spencer Brown, Dalton Kincaid and Khalil Shakir: no game status — full participants Saturday (back, chest and personal reasons).

Minnesota Vikings

• Kyler Murray: out — hamstring; O'Connell said the team does not believe it is more than week to week.
• Jauan Jennings: out — calf.
• Demond Claiborne: out — knee.
• Theo Jackson: questionable — quadriceps. Limited Saturday after two missed days.
• Jay Ward: questionable — knee. Limited all week.
• Andrew Van Ginkel: no game status — chest; full participant Saturday.
• Christian Darrisaw: no game status — shoulder and rest; did not practice Saturday.

If Dawkins and Anderson cannot go, Buffalo would face the league's most aggressive pressure defense with two changes on the left side of its line, with Tylan Grable the alternative at tackle. Minnesota has two safeties listed as questionable, Jackson and Ward, the very defenders left deep when Flores sends extra rushers. On offense, losing receiver Jennings leaves Wentz with one fewer option around Jefferson.

What will decide it

Allen against the blitz. Since 2024, Buffalo's quarterback has completed 63% of his passes against extra pressure, with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions; this season his production in those situations has dipped, with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Every blitz leaves fewer defenders in coverage, and, according to the Vikings, Allen leads all quarterbacks in expected points added (EPA) on both passes and runs. One pressure that arrives late can become a big play, through the air or with Allen running.

Cook against a defense that gambles. If Minnesota loads the line to get after Allen, Buffalo's running back could find room at the second level. Cook has been the most consistent player in an offense that has also made mistakes: he has 10 fumbles since the start of 2025, and the Vikings' defense has taken the ball away at least once in every game.

How many points Minnesota needs. With a defense allowing 13.3 a game, a modest offense has been enough for the Vikings. Against an opponent averaging more than 33, that math changes. Wentz will need Jefferson, who has only 335 yards through seven games, and a ground game led by Aaron Jones (458 yards).

It will also be a night of tributes in Minneapolis: Monday is the Vikings' Salute to Service game, and Adrian Peterson will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.

How to watch Bills–Vikings

• Venue: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis.
• Date and time: Monday, Nov. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET / 7:15 p.m. CT / 5:15 p.m. PT.

United States — Monday, Nov. 9, 8:15 p.m. ET / 5:15 p.m. PT

• TV: ABC and ESPN, with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in the booth and Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge on the sidelines. ESPN2 carries an alternate telecast with The Pat McAfee Show, and NFL Network airs another built around Next Gen Stats. ESPN Deportes has the Spanish-language broadcast.
• Streaming: the ESPN app with a TV provider login; NFL+ on mobile in the two teams' local markets only.

United Kingdom — Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1:15 a.m. GMT

• TV: Sky Sports NFL and Sky Sports Main Event, with coverage from 1 a.m.

Australia — Tuesday, Nov. 10, 12:15 p.m. AEDT (Sydney and Melbourne); 11:15 a.m. AEST (Brisbane); 9:15 a.m. AWST (Perth)

• TV: broadcast not yet announced for this game.
• Streaming: NFL Game Pass International on DAZN, subject to the service's terms in Australia.

Minnesota has won six games without needing many points; Buffalo has won its six by outscoring everyone. On Monday, with Wentz under center and Allen across the field, we will find out whether the Vikings' defense is enough against the league's best offense, too.