The last-minute win by the Houston Texans against the Buffalo Bills gave fans lots to think about. Certainly, some of the talk has been concerning the decision by the Bills to throw three times out of their endzone late in the game. There is still plenty to talk about in the first three quarters of that game, though, not just how it ended.
This Offense Needs Nico Collins
For three scary quarters, the world got to see what the Houston Texans offense is like without Wide Receiver Nico Collins, who left the game due to a hamstring injury. In that period, Houston Texans Quarterback Stroud took a strip sack, threw an interception, and struggled to move the ball.
In fairness, those bad plays had more to do with Stroud’s protection than the absence of Collins. When Stroud gets pressured, though, Collins is the guy he looks for. That’s why the poor offense in the second half at least was somewhat caused by Collins not being on the field.
Houston Texans Have a Pretty Good Secondary
They may not get the same coverage that the wide receivers or quarterback gets on the Texans, but the secondary is becoming a force to be reckoned with on the team. Last week the defense was able to hold the Jaguars to a 4 and out on their endzone. This week, they stopped the Bills three times at the end of the game to force a punt.
For more evidence on how well the Texans defensive backs can play, just look at Buffalo Bills Quarterback Josh Allen’s efficiency. He was 9-of30 on the game. That’s a great performance against a player some consider to be the best quarterback in the National Football League.
The Bills Probably Should Have Run Out the Clock
Much is going to be made of this decision, and of course, in hindsight, it looks better to run the ball than to throw three incompletions. Even without knowing how those passes would turn out, though, the Bills had plenty of reasons to run the ball.
Allen was 9-of-27 throwing the ball then as he was missing Wide Receiver Khalil Shakir. The Houston Texans defense was playing well throughout the second half, and Running Back James Cook was not having a bad game either. He finished with 20 rushes for 82 yards and a touchdown.
In the press conference after the game, Josh Allen stood by the decision, claiming that they wanted to “be aggressive.” He certainly has a point too; against most teams in the NFL, Allen probably converts those passes. Given the way the Houston Texans were playing, though, it was probably better to play for overtime. Houston heads on the road to face the New England Patriots next Sunday. The Houston Texans are looking to build upon what has been a strong 4-1 start to the 2024 season.
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