Updated November 5, 2026
Week 9 ends with two of the NFL's three one-loss teams on the same field. The Buffalo Bills (6-1) visit the Minnesota Vikings (6-1) on Monday Night Football, and it is the last game on the schedule before the trade deadline. This preview covers the kickoff time and channel, how each team got here, the matchup that should decide it, and where the injury report stands. It is a game preview only, with no betting lines or picks.
Bills at Vikings: Kickoff Time, Channel and Stadium
- Date: Monday, November 9, 2026
- Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. ET, which is 5:15 p.m. PT
- TV: ESPN and ABC. The NFL.com injury report page also lists ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network for the game.
- Stadium: U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis
The date, time and network come from NFL.com's Week 9 schedule, and the venue from ESPN's Bills-Vikings game page, both checked Thursday morning, November 5.
Are the Vikings Still Unbeaten?
No. Minnesota was the league's last unbeaten team after a 6-0 start, which we covered when the Vikings were the last unbeaten team. Detroit ended that run 19-15 in Week 8. Kyler Murray threw for 210 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the loss, according to ESPN's box score, while Detroit's Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 153 yards.
That left no unbeaten teams in the league. It also set up Monday: per the NFL.com standings, Buffalo, Minnesota and San Francisco are the only teams at 6-1. One of the first two will leave Monday night at 6-2 unless the game ends in a tie. If you want the history of how rare a full unbeaten season is, our explainer on whether any NFL team has gone undefeated covers it.
How the Bills Got to 6-1
Buffalo has won three straight. ESPN lists the Bills' last five games as:
- Week 8: beat Baltimore 36-10 at home
- Week 6: won 33-30 at Las Vegas
- Week 5: won 37-34 in overtime at the Los Angeles Rams
- Week 4: lost 29-26 to New England at home
- Week 3: beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-16 at home
Josh Allen leads the offense with 1,793 passing yards, 11 touchdown passes and five interceptions, per ESPN's season leaders. James Cook III has 707 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 138 carries, and tight end Dalton Kincaid leads the team with 401 receiving yards. On defense, Greg Rousseau has seven sacks. In the Week 8 win over Baltimore, Allen threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns, and Buffalo out-gained the Ravens 426 to 144, according to ESPN's box score.
How the Vikings Got to 6-1
Minnesota is 3-0 at home this season, per ESPN. The Vikings' last five games:
- Week 8: lost 19-15 at Detroit
- Week 7: beat Indianapolis 16-10 at home
- Week 5: won 23-13 at New Orleans
- Week 4: beat Miami 15-10 at home
- Week 3: won 23-16 at Tampa Bay
The scores tell the story. Minnesota has not scored more than 23 points in any of those five games, and it has won with defense. Murray has 1,022 passing yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. Aaron Jones Sr. leads the team with 458 rushing yards, and Justin Jefferson has 335 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Andrew Van Ginkel has 6.5 sacks, and Blake Cashman leads the team with 64 tackles. All figures are ESPN's season leaders as of Thursday morning.
The Matchup to Watch: Most Points Scored vs. Fewest Allowed
This is the clearest contrast of Week 9. Through Week 8, Buffalo has scored 233 points, the most in the league, according to the NFL.com standings. Minnesota has allowed 93, the fewest in the league; the next-lowest total is Jacksonville's 111.
The other side of the ledger is just as wide. The Vikings have scored 140 points, and the Bills have allowed 181. Buffalo's games have tended to be high-scoring, including two straight road wins by three points or fewer that went 33-30 and 37-34. Minnesota's have been low-scoring, and each of its last four wins was decided by 10 points or fewer.
So the questions for Monday are simple. Can the Vikings' defense keep Allen and Cook from turning drives into touchdowns, the way it held its last five opponents to 16 points or fewer in four of them? And can Minnesota's offense find enough points if the game turns into the kind of shootout Buffalo has won on the road?
Injury Report Status as of Thursday Morning
As of 9:05 a.m. PT on Thursday, November 5, the official NFL injury report showed "No Injuries Reported" for both the Bills and the Vikings. That is expected. For a Monday night game, practice reports run Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and the game status report with Out, Doubtful and Questionable tags comes Saturday, November 7. Our Week 9 injury report schedule lays out every team's dates.
We are not listing player statuses from unofficial sources here. Check the official report after Thursday's practice, and again Saturday, before drawing conclusions about who plays.
Last Game Before the Trade Deadline
The 2026 trade deadline is Tuesday, November 10, at 4 p.m. ET (1 p.m. PT), per the NFL's 2026-27 important dates. That makes Monday's game the final look either front office gets at its roster before trading closes for the season. Our guide to how the NFL trade deadline works explains what changes after 1 p.m. PT Tuesday.
Bills vs. Vikings Monday Night: Frequently Asked Questions
What time is Bills vs. Vikings on Monday Night Football?
Kickoff is Monday, November 9, 2026, at 8:15 p.m. ET, which is 5:15 p.m. PT, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
What channel is Bills vs. Vikings on?
ESPN and ABC, per NFL.com. The NFL.com injury report page also lists ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and NFL Network.
Are the Vikings still undefeated in 2026?
No. Detroit beat Minnesota 19-15 in Week 8, so the Vikings enter Monday at 6-1, the same record as the Bills.
Sources: NFL.com Week 9 schedule, standings and injury report; ESPN game page, season leaders and box scores; NFL.com 2026-27 important dates. Checked Thursday, November 5, 2026, 9:05 a.m. PT.
