ORCHARD PARK – In a league that is dominated by quarterbacks, viewers tuning into the earlier of the two Monday Night Football games this week will get a game where running backs may play the starring role for their respective teams.
When the Buffalo Bills take on the Atlanta Falcons, superstar and reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen will of course have an impact for the Bills, and perhaps still raw second-year Falcons quarterback Michael Penix will be heard from, too, but these two teams figure to lean into their running games.
And why not when you consider the Bills have September’s AFC offensive player of the month James Cook, and the Falcons have September’s NFC offensive player of the month Bijan Robinson.
Rare is the month in these times of high-flying passing games when the top two players are both running backs. The last time it happened was December 2022 when Jerick McKinnon of the Chiefs and Christian McCaffrey of the 49ers were selected. Before that it was December 2018, Derrick Henry of the Titans and Chris Carson of the Seahawks.
Robinson, who has played one less game than Cook, leads the NFL with 146 yards from scrimmage per game on the heels of a 2024 season when his 85.6 yards per game ranked fourth.
“He should be,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said when asked if Robinson should now be considered one of the superstar faces of the league. “And if our team can go out and do what they’re capable of doing, he will be, and rightfully so. He’s got a lot of great qualities as a human and special qualities as a player.”
The Bills are saying the same thing about Cook who ranks fourth this year in average yards per game from scrimmage at 107.8, while also ranking second in rushing yards power game at 90.0.
“Obviously, you want to make sure that we’re spreading the ball around and making sure everybody’s getting touches, but when you got a guy that dynamic, you want him on the field because of the plays that he continuously makes,” Allen said of Cook. “We love having him out in the field because you never know when he gets the ball, if he’s going to score.”
Here’s the broadcast and betting information:
Watch Bills vs Falcons live on Fubo (free trial)
What time is the Buffalo Bills vs Atlanta Falcons game?
∎ Date: Monday, Oct. 13
∎ Time: 7:15 p.m.
∎ Place: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Who is favored to win Bills vs. Falcons game
∎ Betting line: Bills -4.5
∎ Over-under: 50
∎ Money line: Bills minus-225 (bet $225 to win $100) and Falcons plus-185 (bet $100 to win $185).
Who is announcing the Bills vs. Falcons game
∎ Play-by-play: Chris Fowler
∎ Analyst: Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick
∎ Sideline reporter: Katie George, Peter Schrager
How to watch Buffalo Bills vs Atlanta Falcons game on TV, streaming
∎ Cable/Network TV: ESPN. The game will be available on Spectrum channel 24 in Rochester, Syracuse and Albany, channel 25 in Binghamton, channel 29 in Elmira, channel 30 in Buffalo, channel 43 in Utica.
∎ Online streaming services: With your TV subscription you can watch on your phone or tablet on ESPN.com, the ESPN mobile app, and ESPN Deportes. You can also watch games on NFL.com and the NFL mobile app, and you can subscribe to NFL+, the league’s own streaming service, though you can’t cast the games to your TV – you must watch on your phone or tablet.
∎ TV streaming: You can also stream games if you have subscriptions to Spectrum, DirecTV Choice, Fubo Sports, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTubeTV + NFL Sunday Ticket.
On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs Falcons game
You can listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on channel 225 (Bills feed) and channel 226 (Falcons feed), and on traditional radio, the Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. Chris Brown has the play-by-play, Eric Wood is the analyst, and Sal Capaccio is the sideline reporter. The network includes:
Sal Maiorana has covered the Buffalo Bills for four decades including 35 years as the full-time beat writer for the D&C, he has written numerous books about the history of the team, and he is also co-host of the BLEAV in Bills podcast/YouTube show. He can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com, and you can follow him on X @salmaiorana and on Bluesky @salmaiorana.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: What channel is the Bills game on? How to watch Buffalo Bills vs Atlanta Falcons
Reporting by Sal Maiorana, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
