Texans’ defense comes up big in TNF win against Bills

HOUSTON — Texans returned to the playoff race after a massive win 23-19 against Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football.

The Texans defense showed why it ranks first in primetime as it held the Bills offense to 12 points. The defense allowed just 16.4 points per game and showed why it may be one of the best in recent seasons. Division fires Bills cornerback Josh Allen eight times, and when it mattered most, Houston's defense sealed the win with an interception assisted by a safety. Kalen Bullock.

Even though the team gave up a fourth-and-27 on its final drive on a hook and side kick to spook the Houston faithful, it ultimately didn't cost the team much. The Texans are currently over .500. According to ESPN Analytics, they have a 37% chance of making the playoffs.

Here are the most important things both teams need to know for Thursday night:

Amazing performance: Backup Davis Mills threw for two touchdowns and led the Texans offense to 23 points, beating the MVP on the other side. Houston's season looked shaky when the team lost its guard C.J. Stroud against Denver Broncos before the concussion, and the team's overall record was 3–5. But Mills stepped in and ran the offense well enough to improve his record to 3-0.

Turning point: This happened when the Texans scored a touchdown before the end of the first half after a Bills running back. Ray Davis returned the kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. Mills found everywhere Jayden Higgins for a touchdown with five seconds left to provide huge momentum as it gave Houston a 20-16 lead. Considering how well Houston's defense has played this season, 20 points in the first half is all the team needs to win.

Trend to watch: The Texans defense allowed the fewest points per game (16.3) in Week 12, but its sacks were in the middle of the pack with 25 (14th). But Houston sacked Allen eight times, a season-high for the Texans. Now that Houston's defense is scoring points and also ranking first in scoring, we could be looking at one of the best defenses in recent seasons.

Statistics you need to know: One of the reasons Mills was able to play well was because he was protected. He was pressured by only 14% of players and was not sacked at all. There were games where he could scan the entire field before throwing the ball home. This was the Texans' best offensive line all season, considering who they were playing in the Bills and the significance of this game in determining their playoff position. — DJ Bien-Aimé

Next game: V Indianapolis Colts (1 p.m. ET, November 30)

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The Bills offense needed some drive. The team battled throughout the game, but with 2:48 left in the game, the reigning MVP returned the ball to their own 18-yard line.

Then the defender Josh Allen was fired for the seventh and eighth time. But the magic happened on fourth-and-27 when Allen threw the ball to the wide receiver. Joshua Palmerwho almost immediately passed it to the wide receiver Khalil Shakirwho then ran to the sideline and made the first down.

Ultimately, however, after a few games the magic wore off.

For a variety of reasons, from playmaking to the Texans' No. 1 defense, the Bills' offense spent much of the game running without getting its act together. Allen did not throw a touchdown for the ninth time in his career.

And despite a valiant last attempt, mistakes, including a false start by left tackle Dion Dawkins on fourth-and-1 meant the no-finish situation occurred again as the Bills fell short of the end zone. Buffalo falls to 7-4 with one more game left. New England Patriots in the race for the AFC East.

Statistics you need to know: James Cook III became the third Bills player to rush for 1,000 yards in three straight seasons with his 45-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, joining O. J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas as the only Bills to do so. The score also marked Cook's 36th career touchdown, breaking a tie with Joe Cribbs and Cookie Gilchrist for the second-most touchdowns by a Bills player in a player's first four seasons in the NFL. (Thomas first from 39.)

What to do with QB performance: The biggest story here is the bags, all eight of them. The Texans were successful on six of those occasions by sending four or fewer pass rushers, the most such sacks Allen has had in his career. This struggling offense was at its best when it stayed in short-yardage situations, and the sacks—the combined result of a lack of open receivers, Allen's decision-making, a rough day on the offensive line, and a very good Texans defense—made them few and far between.

Trend to watch: Turnover margin. The Bills had an NFL-record streak of 26 straight games without losing their turnover differential by the end of Week 5, and it has been trending downward since then. In the six games since then, Buffalo has won twice with a turnover advantage. This game was a prime example of how turnovers should be an issue for this team, including at wide receiver. Khalil Shakirfumbles at the Buffalo 22-yard line. And while the offense turns the ball over twice as often as last year (eight vs. 16), the defense also struggles to take the ball away (32 takeaways last year vs. 13 in 11 games this season). — Alaina Getzenberg

Next game: V Pittsburgh Steelers (4:25 pm ET, November 30)