NFL Week 9 2026: Schedules and where to watch all the weekend games

NFL Week 9 arrives with the standings tighter than almost ever before: three teams tied at the top overall with a 6-1 record: the San Francisco 49ers, Buffalo Bills, and Minnesota Vikings and two of them, the Bills and Vikings, facing off on Tuesday night in Minneapolis to close out the slate.

At the other end, the Los Angeles Chargers are looking to avoid being buried, while the Miami Dolphins and the Tennessee Titans are also fighting not to sink. There are matchups between contenders, trap games for favorites, and several teams forced to win so they don’t miss the playoff train.

Week overview: Time, date, and where to watch each Week 9 NFL game

- Minnesota Vikings (6-1) vs. Buffalo Bills (6-1) — Tuesday, November 10, 2:15 AM. On ESPN and ABC.

Baltimore Ravens vs Jacksonville Jaguars

Time: 8:15 p.m. Eastern Time (7:15 p.m. CET and 5:15 p.m. PT)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video

Atlanta Falcons vs Cincinnati Bengals

Time: 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time (8:30 a.m. CET and 6:30 a.m. PT)

Where to watch: NFL Network

Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos

Time: 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CET and 10:00 a.m. PT)

Venue: Bank of America Stadium

Indianapolis Colts vs Dallas Cowboys

Time: 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (12:00 p.m. CET and 10:00 a.m. PT)

Kansas City Chiefs vs New York Jets

Miami Dolphins vs Detroit Lions

New Orleans Saints vs Cleveland Browns

Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Giants

Venue: Lincoln Financial Field

Washington Commanders vs Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Chargers vs Houston Texans

Time: 4:05 p.m. Eastern Time (3:05 p.m. CET and 1:05 p.m. PT)

New England Patriots vs Green Bay Packers

Time: 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time (3:25 p.m. CET and 1:25 p.m. PT)

Las Vegas Raiders vs San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks vs Arizona Cardinals

Time: 4:25 p.m. ET (3:25 p.m. CET and 1:25 p.m. PT)

Chicago Bears vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Time: 8:20 p.m. Eastern Time (7:20 p.m. CET and 5:20 p.m. PT)

Minnesota Vikings vs Buffalo Bills

Where to watch: ESPN and ABC

NFL Week 9 marquee matchup: Vikings vs Bills at U.S. Bank Stadium

The main event closes out the action on Monday, November 9 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN and ABC. It is the best matchup of the week: two franchises with 6-1 records, leaders of their respective divisions, and tied at the top of the overall standings by winning percentage.

The contrast in styles is what makes the clash so enticing. Buffalo is the league’s offensive machine: it leads everyone with 233 points scored and boasts a +52 point differential. Minnesota, meanwhile, wins with the most solid defense in the league: just 93 points allowed in seven games, the best mark in the entire NFL, for a +47 differential.

Irresistible force against immovable object. Whoever imposes their script—the Bills turning their might into early points or the Vikings suffocating the tempo and keeping the score low—will take away more than just a win: a direct edge in the race for the best record in each conference.

Implications in the fight for the NFL lead

At the top overall, three teams share a 6-1 record: the 49ers, Bills, and Vikings. Since the Bills and Vikings face each other, one of the two will inevitably lose ground, which opens the door for the San Francisco 49ers—overall leaders and owners of the NFC West with a +58 point differential—to stand alone at the top if they win in Las Vegas.

Right behind lurks a group of 6-2 teams made up of the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chicago Bears, all of them leaders or co-leaders of their divisions. The Bears, with 214 points scored, host Tampa Bay on Monday with the chance to stay close behind the Vikings in the NFC North.

A little lower down but very much alive, the 5-2 group—Jaguars, Lions, Chiefs, and Bengals—faces a week in which a slip-up comes at a high cost: the density of contenders is unforgiving. In the NFC East, the New York Giants (4-1-1) are in charge despite a modest record and can extend their divisional lead by hosting the Eagles, sunk at 2-6.

The battle to avoid sinking

The bottom of the standings has a name of its own: the Los Angeles Chargers, the only team without a win and with the worst point differential in the league. Their visit from the Houston Texans (2-5) is perhaps their best opportunity to get their first win on the board before the season slips away completely .

In the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins host a red-hot Detroit Lions team and need a miracle to stop the bleeding. The Tennessee Titans are also in deep trouble, and in the NFC, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New Orleans Saints are in the same boat, teams that already see the playoffs as a distant dream and are playing for pride—and for the draft.

Predictions for the biggest games of NFL Week 9

Vikings vs. Bills: an extremely even matchup. Minnesota's defense and the home-field advantage at U.S. Bank Stadium tip the balance slightly toward the home team in a game that looks close and low-scoring.

Raiders vs. 49ers: San Francisco, the overall leader and with a +58 point differential, should prevail in Las Vegas and strengthen its hold on the top spot.

Chargers vs. Texans: a clash of desperate teams; Houston starts with the edge to keep the Chargers still winless.

Patriots vs. Packers: two 5-3 teams with everything still to play for; home-field advantage could be decisive for New England.