Two 6-1 teams collide on Monday Night Football, and Josh Allen is chasing NFL history along the way.
The Buffalo Bills (6-1) ride a three-game winning streak into U.S. Bank Stadium, while the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) arrive looking to snap a one-game skid. Both teams sit at identical records entering this Week 9 matchup.
Game details
| When | Monday, November 9, 2026 at 8:15 PM ET |
| Where | U.S. Bank Stadium |
| TV | ESPN |
| Line | Buffalo Bills -3 | O/U 44 (market view) |
| Buffalo Bills record | 6-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings record | 6-1 |
The matchup
According to NFL game notes, Josh Allen's Week 8 performance — 21-of-34 passing for 289 yards and two touchdowns, plus a rushing score — pushed him past Tom Brady's 101 wins for third-most victories by a quarterback in his first nine seasons, including playoffs, in NFL history.
Buffalo has won three straight, capped by a 36-10 rout of the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, a 33-30 escape against the Las Vegas Raiders and a wild 37-34 win over the Los Angeles Rams before that. Minnesota, meanwhile, has dropped its last outing, a 15-19 loss at the Detroit Lions, after wins over the Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins.
Key matchups
Josh Allen needs nine rushing yards to join Lamar Jackson, Michael Vick, Cam Newton and Russell Wilson as the only quarterbacks with 5,000 career rushing yards, a mark the NFL points out he could reach Monday night against a Vikings front that includes Andrew Van Ginkel, who piled up 2.5 sacks last week and has a sack in two of his past three games. Allen already ranks second in the NFL with nine rushing touchdowns this season, and this Vikings defense has to account for him on every snap near the goal line.
James Cook III has found the end zone on the ground in six straight games and ranks third in the AFC with 817 scrimmage yards this season. When Buffalo gets inside the twenty, Cook is the first read, and Minnesota's run defense will be tested in short yardage.
On the other side, Justin Jefferson caught a touchdown last week and has piled up 607 receptions and 46 touchdown catches through his first 100 career games, third-most receiving yards by any player in his first 100 games. He draws Buffalo's Christian Benford and Davison Igbinosun, with Igbinosun coming off his first career interception and ranking tied for first among rookies with eight passes defensed this season.
T.J. Hockenson caught a touchdown pass last week and has scored in three of his past four games at home, making him Minnesota's most reliable red-zone target with Kyler Murray sidelined.
Injuries that matter
Buffalo's injury report is heavy up front and at receiver. Tackles Dion Dawkins (rib) and Alec Anderson (ankle) are questionable, as is defensive tackle Greg Gaines (calf) and cornerback Jordan Hancock (hamstring). Wide receiver Joshua Palmer is out with a hamstring injury, and fellow receiver Tyrell Shavers is questionable with a knee issue. DJ Moore was limited in practice and Keon Coleman was also limited, while defensive tackle Ed Oliver and linebacker Terrel Bernard did not practice.
Minnesota is down its starting quarterback, as Kyler Murray is out with a hamstring injury. Running back Demond Claiborne is out with a knee injury, and receiver Jauan Jennings is out with a calf issue. Safeties Jay Ward (knee) and Theo Jackson (quadricep) are both questionable. Tackle Christian Darrisaw did not practice, and safety Harrison Smith was limited.
Fantasy angles
Josh Allen projects for a team-high 24.5 DraftKings points and is an easy start given his dual-threat scoring upside. James Cook III isn't far behind at 20.0, and his goal-line role makes him a must-play in any format. On the Minnesota side, Justin Jefferson (12.5) is locked into featured-target volume, and T.J. Hockenson (9.0) is a solid red-zone play at tight end. Khalil Shakir (9.0) rounds out the lineup as a steady complementary option in the Buffalo passing game. Kyler Murray, who was projected for 16.0 points, is out and off the board entirely.
The pick
The betting market favors the Buffalo Bills by three points, with a total of 44.0 and a projected score of Bills 24, Vikings 21. Buffalo's three-game win streak, Allen's dual-threat scoring and a banged-up Vikings receiver corps missing Jauan Jennings give the Bills the edge. Minnesota has to replace red-zone production without Kyler Murray, and that's a tough ask on Monday night at home.
Injury report
| Player | Team | Pos | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alec Anderson | Buffalo Bills | OT | Questionable |
| Dion Dawkins | Buffalo Bills | OT | Questionable |
| Greg Gaines | Buffalo Bills | DT | Questionable |
| Jordan Hancock | Buffalo Bills | CB | Questionable |
| Joshua Palmer | Buffalo Bills | WR | Out |
| Tyrell Shavers | Buffalo Bills | WR | Questionable |
| DJ Moore | Buffalo Bills | WR | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
| Ed Oliver | Buffalo Bills | DT | Did not practice (no game status yet) |
| Keon Coleman | Buffalo Bills | WR | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
| Terrel Bernard | Buffalo Bills | LB | Did not practice (no game status yet) |
| Demond Claiborne | Minnesota Vikings | RB | Out |
| Jauan Jennings | Minnesota Vikings | WR | Out |
| Jay Ward | Minnesota Vikings | S | Questionable |
| Kyler Murray | Minnesota Vikings | QB | Out |
| Theo Jackson | Minnesota Vikings | S | Questionable |
| Christian Darrisaw | Minnesota Vikings | OT | Did not practice (no game status yet) |
| Harrison Smith | Minnesota Vikings | S | Limited in practice (no game status yet) |
Depth chart
Offense
| Pos | Buffalo Bills | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| QB | Josh Allen | Kyler Murray |
| RB | James Cook III | Jordan Mason |
| WR | DJ Moore, Khalil Shakir, Keon Coleman | Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jauan Jennings |
| TE | Dalton Kincaid | T.J. Hockenson |
| LT | Dion Dawkins | Christian Darrisaw |
| LG | Alec Anderson | Joe Huber |
| C | Connor McGovern | Blake Brandel |
| RG | O'Cyrus Torrence | Will Fries |
| RT | Spencer Brown | Brian O'Neill |
| FB | — | Max Bredeson |
Defense
| Pos | Buffalo Bills | Minnesota Vikings |
|---|---|---|
| LDE | T.J. Sanders | Levi Drake Rodriguez |
| NT | Deone Walker | Caleb Banks |
| RDE | Ed Oliver | Jalen Redmond |
| WLB | Greg Rousseau | Andrew Van Ginkel |
| LILB | Dorian Williams | Eric Wilson |
| RILB | Terrel Bernard | Blake Cashman |
| SLB | Bradley Chubb | Dallas Turner |
| LCB | Christian Benford | Isaiah Rodgers |
| RCB | Davison Igbinosun | James Pierre |
| NB | Dee Alford | Byron Murphy Jr. |
| SS | Cole Bishop | Joshua Metellus |
| FS | Damar Hamlin | Harrison Smith |
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | Wk8 W 36-10 vs Baltimore Ravens, Wk6 W 33-30 vs Las Vegas Raiders, Wk5 W 37-34 vs Los Angeles Rams |
| Minnesota Vikings | Wk8 L 15-19 vs Detroit Lions, Wk7 W 16-10 vs Indianapolis Colts, Wk5 W 23-13 vs New Orleans Saints |
More league notes: Week 9 NFL Preview & Capsules and What to Look For - Week 9, from the NFL.
Written by Rhett Zone, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores, box scores, injuries and depth charts). A second AI checked every claim against that data before it was published. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.