Narrowing any list to "one" that cannot be missed is a tough task.

But selecting exactly that out of 17 games on Minnesota's 2026 schedule? C'mon, man! That's unfair to ask of anyone. We're talking about a lineup that includes a business trip across the border to Mexico City for a clash against San Francisco … a Thursday Night Football matchup with reigning AFC Champion New England at a potentially snowy Gillette Stadium in December … a pre-Christmas, prime-time date with Detroit at U.S. Bank Stadium that hopefully is as merry as last year … and a Week 2 jaunt to Soldier Field.

That's just a few of the "ones" we're fired up to watch this season. However, we intentionally left out the one that The Athletic picked as its absolute must-see on the calendar: Week 9 on Monday Night Football.

Minnesota on Nov. 9 will host Buffalo and perennial MVP candidate quarterback Josh Allen. It feels that fireworks are inevitable. Shoot, in the last meeting, Justin Jefferson made arguably the catch of the century; Allen bumbled a snap, backed up at his goal line; and Greg Joseph nailed the winning field goal.

So, yeah, we understand why there's maybe a little more hype around the slate's midpoint.

Here's how Alec Lewis defended his choice for the one "must-watch" Vikings game this season:

Two of the NFL's biggest stars in Jefferson and Allen. A prime-time Monday night matchup at U.S. Bank Stadium, one of the league's best venues for theater. In 2022, the last time Minnesota and Buffalo squared off, the matchup produced one of the most entertaining regular-season games in recent memory. You can already envision Jefferson doing the Griddy out of the tunnel. Allen trying to solve the Rubik's Cube that is this Vikings defense. Minnesota's young defensive tackles (namely rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique "Big Citrus" Orange), working to slow down a Buffalo rushing attack (headed by James Cook) that has consistently been one of the NFL's best. This one has the makings of another classic.

Enough said, right? Now, here's a half-dozen other games selected by The Athletic that caught our eye for various reasons we succinctly outlined. You can click here to check out the article highlighting 32 matchups (the team listed first is the team identified by The Athletic as the representative for the game).

• Bears vs. Packers | Week 16 | Dreaming of a White Christmas?
• Broncos at Patriots | Week 17 | Rematch of the AFC Championship Game
• Packers vs. Dolphins | Week 15 | Familiar faces — Malik Willis, Jeff Hafley, etc. — reunite
• Jaguars at Bears | Week 13 | Liam Coen vs. Ben Johnson has major "brainpower" intrigue
• Chargers at Ravens | Week 10 | Head coaches Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter as frenemies
• Eagles vs. Seahawks | Week 15 | Previous two Super Bowl winners? Getchya popcorn

Remembering Sherman Lewis

A winner, trailblazer and former Vikings offensive coordinator died Friday at the age of 83.

Sherman Lewis was an undersized draft pick of the AFL's Jets (9^th round, 67^th overall) and the NFL's Browns (18^th round, 250^th overall) in 1964 and made 10 appearances for New York as a defensive back and return specialist from 1966-67 after a stint in the CFL. He also briefly played for the Waterbury Orbits, a minor league team affiliated with the Jets. Eventually, Lewis traded his helmet for a headset and then spent 34 seasons making a supreme impact on the sidelines, including a couple with the Vikings.

After spending 14 seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, Michigan State (1969-82), Lewis returned to the pro ranks as San Francisco's running backs coach. He held that title until moving to wide receivers coach in 1991. The next year, he was part of history when former 49ers Offensive Coordinator Mike Holmgren became Green Bay's Head Coach and brought Lewis and Ray Rhodes from the Bay Area to Titletown to lead the offense and defense, respectively, as the NFL's inaugural duo of Black coordinators.

Lewis won three Super Bowls (XIX, XXIII, XXIV) with San Francisco and added a fourth with the Packers (XXXI), whom he spent eight seasons with before he was fired amidst staff turnover in January 2000. His next opportunity arose that month with the Vikings when Dennis Green hired him in the same position.

Green referred to the hire as an "opportunity to bring in the preeminent offensive coordinator in the game," and Lewis made good on that claim, leading a unit that ranked fifth in yards and points in 2000.

Lewis later served as Detroit's Offensive Coordinator (2003-04) and returned to coaching at age 67, concluding his career as an offensive consultant for Washington in 2009. In 2023, Lewis received an Award of Excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame for his significant contributions to the sport.

Although Lewis was never afforded the chance to be a head coach, he viewed his achievements fondly.

"We won Super Bowls in San Francisco and one in Green Bay," he said in a 2015 interview with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "And I got to work with some great coaches and players. No question I wished I had the chance to be a head coach. But looking back, I did all I could. I was disappointed, but I'm not going to hang my hat on that. I had a great career and was fortunate to coach in the NFL."

Overall, Lewis helped design eight Top 10 scoring offenses across a dozen seasons as an offensive coordinator. Also, six players on the Vikings offense got Pro Bowl nods in his first year with the club: QB Daunte Culpepper, RB Robert Smith, WR Cris Carter, WR Randy Moss, C Matt Birk and T Korey Stringer.

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