Vikings vs. Bills: Who Wins and Why in Week 9

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? We'll find out that answer and more Monday night when the high-octane Buffalo Bills come to town.

The Vikings will get Josh Allen and the Bills for their next game as part of a brutal November stretch. The Vikings enter the matchup at 6-1, but with the loss to Detroit and Green Bay and San Francisco on deck, it's easy to see how things can derail fairly quickly.

The Vikings will again need a demonstrative performance from the defense in order to keep the Bills in check, while the offense will try and find any sort of momentum with a new quarterback under center. It's the Vikings and Bills in Week 9 as the last game before the trade deadline, so let's get into who wins and why.

Vikings offense vs. Bills defense

With Kyler Murray sidelined with a hamstring injury, the Vikings will turn to Carson Wentz against the Bills. Objective No. 1 for Wentz: Get Justin Jefferson the ball. For what likely culminates into several reasons, the Vikings haven't found a way to get their superstar the ball. That's problematic, clearly, but Wentz has generally been better at looking to Jefferson than Murray has thus far. In Wentz' starts dating back to 2025, Jefferson is getting 9.3 targets per game compared to just 7.6 with Murray in their full games together.

Wentz won't be making any plays with his legs in this one, but the 30th-ranked passing defense of the Bills will also allow him to find plays through the air. Buffalo is allowing a 300-yard passer almost every other outing in 2026, and Wentz might have to get darn close to keep pace with Josh Allen on the other sideline.

The 6-1 Bills will be a huge challenge, but it's certainly not because of their defense. The Vikings may struggle to generate a ton on the ground, but Wentz will be given some opportunities to shine. Edge rusher Greg Rousseau and his seven sacks will require constant attention, but no one else on the roster has more than 1.5 of them.

Bills offense vs. Vikings defense

Yeah, this is going to be must-watch TV as the No. 1 scoring offense collides with the No. 1 scoring defense. Something's got to give, and the Vikings are hoping that it's the Bills' juggernaut offense. Josh Allen has scored multiple touchdowns in every game this season, and is a one-man wrecking crew for Buffalo with his 20 total scores.

Brian Flores' unit has allowed just nine total touchdowns in 2026, however, and would be the team that could bring Allen's streak to an end. Still, stopping Allen isn't the only issue for Minnesota. Just a week after getting gashed on the ground to the tune of 230 yards, the Viking defense will have to regroup and find a way to stop James Cook, who boasts an impressive 5.1 yards per carry on the year.

Ultimately, if the Bills get anywhere close to their 33-point-per-game scoring average, the Vikings will be on the fast track to 6-2. The defense will need to get creative to get Allen off his game, and give the struggling offense at least a fighting chance.

Verdict

Vikings: 20 Bills 27

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