Houston Texans Beat Buffalo Bills 23-19 in Thursday Night Thriller
After a bit of a snooze fest for the last few Thursday night games, NFL fans were treated to a thrilling game between two teams jockeying for playoff positions. The Houston Texans, anchored by their elite defense, were able to shut the door on a late Buffalo Bills comeback to move to 6-5 and vastly improve their playoff chances with the win.
Texans Back-up Davis Mills Does Just Enough in the Win
While it certainly wasn’t the prettiest of games for the Texans’ offense with back-up quarterback Davis Mills at the helm, the second-stringer was able to keep the team afloat in the win. Mills threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns on the night, which lifted Houston to their third straight win since star quarterback C.J. Stroud went down with a concussion three weeks ago.
Texans Defense Locks Up Josh Allen and the Bills Offense
In a battle between the reigning league MVP and arguably the best defense in football, the defense got the better of Josh Allen in primetime tonight. Houston was able to get to Allen at will throughout the game, as the Bills’ offensive line relinquished a season high eight sacks in the loss. Texans’ star pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter combined for 4.5 of Houston’s total sacks on the night.
The Texans were also able to limit the Bills’ efficiency on third down, as the Bills, who rank fourth in the league in third-down efficiency, were only able to convert 5 of their 16 third downs for the game. Texans Safety Calen Bullock posted the best game of the season against the Bills, as the second-year defensive back collected a forced fumble along with two interceptions to help seal the win for Houston.
AFC Playoff Picture Tightens with Texans Win
With the Texans’ upset win tonight, the AFC playoff picture in terms of both the wild-card seeds and teams still in the hunt saw the margin for error tighten substantially. While the Texans still sit just outside the current playoff picture, this win gets them firmly within striking distance of the Jacksonville Jaguars in the race for the final wild-card spot.
As for the Bills, although this loss doesn’t significantly impact their overall playoff chances, it does mean that their chances of securing a sixth-straight AFC East division title are all but gone at this point.
Final Thoughts
Here is how the current playoff picture stands with a Houston win tonight. The Texans now stand at a 49% probability of making the playoffs with their win tonight, with one key game coming up against the Kansas City Chiefs in two weeks. While a win against the Chiefs would give the Texans the edge in terms of head-to-head should both teams finish with the same record, their remaining schedule ranks among the toughest in the league here in the final stretch. If Houston has proven anything throughout this season, it’s that team records can often be a lot more deceiving than they look.
