The Buffalo Bills fell to 7-4 on the season after losing to the Houston Texans. Let's talk a look at the positives and negatives from the game.
The Buffalo Bills chances at the AFC East are on life support after falling 23-19 to the Houston Texans on Thursday Night.
It was a big game for two teams in the middle of a tight playoff race, but it was the Texans that made the plays necessary to get the win. The Bills now sit 7-4 and currently remain in fifth place in the AFC.
Here are my quick reactions, both positive and negative, on what can only be seen as a disappointing night for the Bills. Let's start with the positives since there are far less.
Positives
Ray Davis Kick Return: That gave the team a jolt, and it gave the Bills what would ultimately be their final lead of the
Fourth & 27 Conversion: On the final drive of the game, Buffalo picked up a first down after Joshua Palmer lateralled the ball to Khalil Shakir to pick up the yardage. It gave Buffalo a fresh set of downs and a chance to win the game.
James Cook's Big Runs: James Cook scored on a 45-yard run on the opening drive of the game. He became just the third Bills running back to hit 1,000 yards rushing in 11 games or fewer.
2nd Half Defense: For as much as the defense gave up in the first half, they figured it out a bit in the 2nd half. Buffalo held Houston to just 35 net yards in the second half. They also had the team in a position to drive down the field and win the game. That's all you can ask from a defense that's at the bottom of the league in almost every statistic.
Negatives
Another Final Drive Failure: In what seems to be becoming an unwanted trend, Buffalo had a chance to win the game on the final drive. Despite getting down to the Houston 17 on the final drive, the offense failed score, and Allen ended the game with an interception.
Bills Offensive Line: That might have been the worst outing for the Bills offensive line since Sean McDermott became head coach in 2017. Josh Allen had very little time to find his receivers and was sacked eight times. The eight sacks are the most Allen has taken in a single game, regular season or playoff. Overall, Allen faced 28 pressures on 35 drop backs
Pass Rush: Against a backup quarterback, the Bills failed to get a single sack. While they did get to Davis Mills a few times, they didn't do enough to get him on the ground.
Injuries: It felt like everyone remaining who wasn't hurt went down at one point or another. The Bills lost Terrel Bernard to an arm injury, Max Hairston was evaluated for a concussion, and a number of other players ended up in the blue medical tent at one point or another. The scariest of all came when Allen was hit from behind, landed on his hand, and started writhing in pain. Luckily, he didn't miss any time, but it was a moment that left all of Buffalo holding its breath.
Dion Dawkins: A false start on 4th and 1 with 24 seconds to go set Buffalo back to 4th and 6. The Bills would fail to pick it up, ending the game. But that wasn't the only problem. Dawkins gave up at least two sacks and was seen just stopping in the middle of multiple plays.
Joe Brady Play Calls: After an offensive explosion against Tampa last week, Joe Brady's play calling left a lot to be desired. Excessive screen passes and a complete reversal of what worked in Week 11. While, yes, Houston's defense is the best in the league, there was a lack of pushback by Brady and the offense after the opening drive. Nothing was worse, however, than calling a slow-developing handoff on 4th and 1 at the Houston 23. You have Allen with a yard to gain. Trust him.
Turnovers: For the first time since 2006, the Bills had three or more turnovers in three straight games. Allen had two more interceptions while Shakir lost a fumble.
Matt Prater's Missed PAT: After Cook's opening drive touchdown, Matt Prater missed the PAT. That miss loomed large as instead of kicking a tying field goal on fourth down in the fourth quarter, Buffalo had to go for it down four.
AFC East Chances: Barring a miracle over the final six games, the Bills' chances of winning a sixth-straight division title seems out of reach. New England has a chance on Sunday to go up 2.5 games with a win. If they do end up in a wild card spot, the Bills will have to go on the road in the first round.
End of the First Half: After the Bills took a 16-13 lead late in the second half, the defense allowed Houston's offense to drive 75 yards in 1:38 to take a 20-16 lead. That proved to be the game-winning score.