With all the attention on Texans (5-5) starting quarterback C.J. Stroud and his status for Thursday night against the Bills (7-3), one could understandably underestimate the various overlapping matchups that help to contextualize the rest of how the two teams stack up.

We already know about Houston's dominant #1 overall defense and Buffalo's prolific #2 overall offense. The NFL world also already knows a number of game-swaying impact players on both teams, from Bills superstar quarterback Josh Allen to Texans big-time receiver Nico Collins. 

A strength vs. strength contest is what most people may be on the lookout for. But what if the key to Houston's success on Thursday comes in the form of what has been one of their greatest weaknesses?

The reality is that what might really flip their primetime matchup tomorrow is a commitment to a run game that has been much maligned and inconsistent throughout the season.

Under normal circumstances, one would not champion a ground attack that ranks 23rd in yards per game, 22nd in average per carry, 27th in scoring, and possesses the 29th longest run of 30 yards (for comparison, the top three longest run plays have gone for 83, 81, and 78 yards).

However, when facing a Bills defense that is the second-worst (31st) in rushing yards given up per game (153), and worst (32) in rushing touchdowns against (17), the Texans all of a sudden might have their road map for how to attack the personnel and scheme of Buffalo defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. 

Here are the rushing totals per game given up by the Bills' run stopping unit in order by week:

The Bills have given up no lower than 70 yards in any given contest, and have allowed 100+ yards or more eight times out of 10 total games. Although they have a winning record, not being able to stop the run is something that will certainly devastate your chances to win when Allen can't put on his cape to save the day in any given game. 

Buffalo's offense has had to be phenomenal by necessity because anything less than that would have potentially marred their season due to how deficient their defense has been at run prevention. That's where Texans running backs Woody Marks, Nick Chubb and perhaps even Dameon Pierce come into play. 

While they most certainly haven't been world beaters in 2025, the group has at least helped to keep the chains moving from time to time and offer the passing game some level of effective run support when the run blocking scheme can help muster it. Yet, if Buffalo's defense is as vulnerable against the run as previous data and on-field play suggest, Houston's running back core could explode and cause some real chaos for Buffalo. 

The Texans wouldn't necessarily need a 200+ yard day on the ground to get the job done. They would just need enough run success to keep the Bills off balance, control the time of possession and keep them in a constant state of hurried confusion.

Marks and Chubb especially have the ability to ruin this game for Buffalo, due to Marks' shiftiness on the outside edge and how Chubb utilizes his strength, acceleration and vision between the tackles to create effective runs. 

If Houston can be multidimensional and keep Allen and the high-octane offense off of the field, they could be looking at a 6-5 record heading into next week against the Colts. This, along with the return of two young stars in Stroud and defensive back Jalen Pitre, for the final six-game stretch run. 

Do you think the Texans have a chance to finally ignite their run game against the Bills? If they do, how many yards do you think the running unit will account for? Let us know in the comment section below or on the official Texans Roundtable X account (@Texans_RTB)!