Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said the team did not want to risk aggravating the injury by asking Murray to play through it. “For (Murray), his movement skills, and the way he plays the game, we do feel like we'd be putting him at risk of possibly turning this into a more significant injury than it is by trying to have him work through it here early on,” O’Connell told reporters.

Wentz will make his second start of the season, with Max Brosmer serving as his backup. Wentz previously stepped in when Murray suffered a concussion in week one and helped Minnesota beat Green Bay and Chicago.

Defense faces Buffalo’s high-powered offense

The 6-1 Vikings enter the game after their first loss of the season, against the Detroit Lions. Their offense ranks 27th in scoring and 29th in total yards, placing greater emphasis on a defense that is allowing an NFL-low 13 points per game.

Minnesota has recorded a league-leading 25 sacks and has registered at least four in five of its seven games. That unit now faces Josh Allen and a Bills offense averaging a league-best 33 points per game.

Buffalo is unbeaten on the road and is pursuing a fourth consecutive victory.

Other week nine matchups

Week nine concludes on Monday night when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals face the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid. Burrow has thrown 13 touchdown passes during Cincinnati’s three-game winning streak.

The Kansas City Chiefs, meanwhile, host the New York Jets after losing consecutive games. Kansas City fell 28-24 in Denver on Sunday after holding an 11-point fourth-quarter lead. “We just have to be better than we were last week and try to win a game,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.

The San Francisco 49ers, also 6-1, return from a bye to play the Las Vegas Raiders. Wide receivers Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are likely to remain out through injury, while Demarcus Robinson and KhaDarel Hodge could return as targets for quarterback Brock Purdy. Pass rusher Nick Bosa is also expected back after missing action since week three.

Elsewhere, the Dallas Cowboys visit the Indianapolis Colts after an overtime loss to Arizona; the Philadelphia Eagles host the New York Giants; and the New England Patriots face the Green Bay Packers. The Chicago Bears host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seeking a fourth straight win, while the Seattle Seahawks meet the Arizona Cardinals without quarterback Sam Darnold, who sustained a cracked rib and a quadriceps injury against Chicago.

Source: France 24