By Tim Graham, Joe Buscaglia, Jayna Bardahl and Rebecca Tauber
The Houston Texans showed why they have the best defense in the NFL, holding off Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills for a 23-19 win Thursday night.
Houston sacked Allen eight times, forced three takeaways, a fumble and two interceptions, largely thanks to the efforts of Calen Bullock, Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.
The Bills dropped to 7-4, falling back in their chase for the top of the AFC East against the New England Patriots. The Texans improved to 6-5 as they make their case for playoff contention. They will play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13, while the Bills take on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Texans’ top-ranked defense shuts down Bills’ offense
With the game on the line, the Texans couldn’t have been more confident that their defense was on the field to put this one away. Bullock intercepting Allen for the second time of the night was the most fitting ending for a night dominated by Houston’s top-rated defense.
The Texans’ defense ranks first in the NFL in yards and points allowed per game. Against the Buffalo Bills, the defense forced three turnovers and held Allen and Co. to 12 points (one of Buffalo’s touchdowns was scored on a 97-yard punt return by Ray Davis).
The Texans’ pass rush was all over Allen and held the quarterback to 253 yards and zero touchdowns for the first time since a Week 2 win against the New York Jets. Anderson, whom the Texans traded up to select third overall in 2023, is a game-changer. His 2.5 sacks of Allen cost the Bills 31.5 yards, and he also batted down Allen’s pass on third-and-1 in the final 30 seconds. Houston ended with eight sacks total, the most Allen has taken in his career.
Bullock’s first interception came in the second quarter, after Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair tipped Allen’s pass in the air. Bullock nearly returned it for a pick-six, but the score was called back for an illegal blindside block.
In the third quarter, Bullock knocked the ball out of the hands of Bills receiver Khalil Shakir, creating another Bills turnover. To Buffalo’s credit, the Bills’ defense held the scoring opportunities off of those two turnovers to field goals. — Jayna Bardahl, NFL staff writer
Allen remains winless against Texans
Of course, Davis Mills won his duel with Allen, who remains winless in Houston throughout his career. Mills started 26 games for the Texans in 2021-22, but he never won two in a row. Now, he has been victorious in three straight, while the reigning MVP took his worst beating in nearly three seasons.
Last Sunday, Allen reverted to a more refined version of the fun-but-reckless heroball of his younger days, scrambling around like a madman and making sensational plays to keep Buffalo solvent. Buffalo gave up 32 points to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Allen threw for three TDs and ran for three TDs. He couldn’t quite will the Bills past Mills and the Texans. They chased him all over the yard.
Allen absorbed eight sacks — the most of his career — and four additional QB hits. Early in the third quarter, Allen ran himself into an 18-yard loss, the second-longest sack of his career and the worst since his rookie season. He went 25 of 34 for 262 yards and zero touchdowns with two interceptions. An illegal blindside block erased a Texans pick-six in the second quarter. Allen ran five times for 20 yards. — Tim Graham, Buffalo senior writer
Buffalo offense struggles
The Bills offense hit an unbearable low for the better part of the game. Beginning with Allen’s second-quarter interception and extending through the end of the third quarter, the Bills gained only 15 yards on 14 plays; Houston held Buffalo scoreless for that entire time. The play calling was clearly out of sync, as the Texans showed no real respect for the Bills’ passing game for most of the second half.
The Bills nearly got away with it after a few chunk plays, most specifically on a ridiculous hook-and-ladder play to gain 44 yards on a 4th-and-27. But the late surge does not take away from the overarching fact that the Bills’ offense cannot seem to get out of its own way for long enough stretches to win games they should. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
Bills defense turns it around in the second half
The Bills defense looked horrible in the first half, continuing with several of their problems in stopping the opponents’ rushing attack. But they deserve a lot of credit for their work in the second half, shutting the door on every single Texans’ possession. The lone field goal they gave up came after a Bills turnover that set the Texans up deep in Bills’ territory.
While they certainly need to be more consistent, the defense held the opponent to 23 points. On an Allen-led team, that should be good enough to win every week, regardless of the opponent. Some big questions remain for the defense, as they lost starting middle linebacker Terrel Bernard to an elbow injury, and he did not return. Bernard was spotted on the sidelines in a sling during the second half. — Buscaglia
Woody Marks has career day
Mills started and won his third consecutive game with starter C.J. Stroud in concussion protocol. The Texans’ passing game got off to a slow start. Mills went 1-for-8 in the first quarter, and several of his throws fell short of his targets. The Bills limited the impact of receiver Nico Collins, who had been targeted 25 times and made 16 receptions in Mills’ first two starts. Collins was held to three targets and three receptions for 55 yards. Mills finished 16-for-30 with 153 yards and two touchdowns.
Instead, Houston took advantage of the Bills’ poorly ranked rushing defense to make up for the disparities in the passing game. Rookie running back Woody Marks accounted for a career-high 74 yards on 16 carries. — Bardahl
