It’s officially gameday for the Buffalo Bills! Week 9 wraps up tonight as the Bills will take on the Minnesota Vikings for the world to see. It’s a battle of 6-1 teams, with the Vikings’ ferocious defense looking to slow down a high-powered Bills offense.
Buffalo has ripped off 3 consecutive wins while the Vikings loss their first game of the season in Week 8. Both teams have their major strengths, as well as their obvious weaknesses. This game is going to be a true battle and a true test for both teams, and we can't wait.
With that, we have important game info for fans as they prepare for an 8:15PM kickoff from Minneapolis, per the Bills' PR team.
Bills vs. Vikings Week 9 game info
Time & Channel: 8:15PM - ESPN |
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Play-by-play: Joe Buck |
Analyst: Troy Aikman |
Sidelines: Lisa Salters & Laura Rutledge |
Location: U.S. Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN |
Fans can listen to the game on 97 Rock with Chris Brown, Eric Wood, and Steve Tasker. In addition, the game will also be on Westwood One Sports radio with Kevin Harlan and Kurt Warner.
Key injuries for both teams
Bills:
Player | Status |
|---|---|
OL Alec Anderson (ankle) | Questionable |
OL Dion Dawkins (rib) | Questionable |
DL Greg Gaines (calf) | Questionable |
DB Jordan Hancock (hamstring) (IR) | Questionable |
WR Tyrell Shavers (knee) (PUP) | Questionable |
WR Joshua Palmer (hamstring) | Out |
Buffalo's final injury report on Saturday featues 5 players listed as questionable, and 1 player already being ruled out. After injuring his hamstring against the Ravens in Week 8, Joshua Palmer was ruled out on Saturday.
Out of the 5 players listed as questionable, Dion Dawkins was the only one who didn't practice once this week. Greg Gaines and Alec Anderson were upgraded to limited on Saturday. Seeing the left side of the line being on this report, and Dawkins not practicing all week, that doesn't give a lot of promise going up against this heavy-blitzing Vikings defense.
Vikings:
Player | Status |
|---|---|
S Theo Jackson | Questionable |
S Jay Ward | Questionable |
RB Demond Claiborne | Out |
WR Jauan Jennings | Out |
QB Kyler Murray | Out |
The Vikings' Saturday injury report has two notable names on it, with Kyler Murray and Jauan Jennings both being ruled out. Murray was ruled out prior to Saturday, which puts Carson Wentz under center for the Vikings against the Bills.
Minnesota's offense has been underwhelming this season, and they will be looking for a spark with Wentz. While he has limitations, Wentz has a favorable matchup against Buffalo's secondary. Let’s hope that Jim Leonhard has something up his sleeve to avoid an upset to backup.
Top storylines
Josh Allen vs. Vikings' blitz-heavy defense
When you have a quarterback like Josh Allen, you should never be counted out. The Bills have been one of the most dominant teams with #17 playing like the best quarterback in the league. That being said, this Vikings defense is no joke.
They are only allowing 13.3 points per game, as well as 271 total yards per game. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores is not afraid to bring the heat upfront, and you count on him looking to bring Josh Allen down as much as possible.
At the same time, for those who have watched Bills football, you know that Allen typically does well against a blitzing defense.
James Cook set up for a big game
While the Vikings' defense is great overall, their run-defense is giving up 116 yards per game which could set up a big game for James Cook. He has 707 rushing yards on the year, and the Bills are averaging 148 rushing yards per game.
Say what you want about the Vikings' defense, but their run-defense is not the greatest which could mean that we may see a lot of the jumbo package to have extra blockers for Cook.
Bills' defense favorable matchup against Vikings' offense
We all know that Buffalo's defense, especially when it comes to defending the pass, is atrocious. With that being said, the Vikings' offense is averaging just 165 passing yards per game, which was the worst in the league coming into Week 9. Now, maybe they find a spark with Carson Wentz under center instead of Kyler Murray, but Wentz is a backup for a reason.
Buffalo's defense has managed to play better football in their last two games, specifically with taking away their opponent's best target on the outside. However, we know that Justin Jefferson is just too good sometimes to stop.
Can Bills contain Justin Jefferson?
The matchup from unit perspective looks favorable for Buffalo, but Jefferson is still a Top 5 wideout and the Bills's secondary has been a major issue this season. The last time that Jefferson played against the Bills in 2022, he finished that game with 10 catches for 193 yards and a score, along with a miraculous 4th-down catch with under 2 mins left in the 4th quarter to keep the Vikings alive. Without that catch, the Vikings would have lost.
Jefferson could become a major problem for the Bills if he gets going early.
Final score prediction
Both teams are 6-1, but only one can walk away with the win (assuming that there isn't a tie). The Vikings have a powerful defense, but they are going up against the best quarterback in the league.
Do I believe that the Bills will score 30+ points like they have been all season? Probably not, but I also wouldn't put it past them to do it either. As long as the Bills' defense can hold their ground and the offense can make their magic work at times to get points on the board, the Bills are bound to get the win in primetime.
Prediction: Bills def. Vikings, 24-16
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