HOUSTON — Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott accepted full responsibility for the game management decisions that allowed the Houston Texans to score a game-winning 59-yard field goal on Sunday, resulting in a 23-20 defeat for Buffalo.
“That’s on me, the end-of-game situation on offense,” McDermott stated after the loss. “We were faced with a tough situation… they had three timeouts and a strong kicker. We needed to manage the clock and move the chains, and I take the blame for that. We failed to do so, and that’s my mistake.”
With the score tied at 20-20, the Bills forced a punt from the Texans with just 41 seconds left after quarterback C.J. Stroud was penalized for intentional grounding. McDermott opted to decline a potential 10-second runoff associated with the penalty but acknowledged that it was discussed.
After regaining possession at their own 3-yard line with 32 seconds on the clock, the Bills faced three consecutive incomplete passes from quarterback Josh Allen. According to ESPN Research, the Bills became the only team in the last 45 years to be either tied or ahead in the final minute while inside their own 5-yard line and throw three straight passes.
“I trust Josh with the ball in his hands — I truly do,” McDermott said. “We needed to execute efficiently, and I didn’t lead us to do that. We learn from these tough situations. Looking back, I probably should have opted for a run on the first play and assessed our options afterward. Either way, we needed to move the chains once to prevent giving them a chance. Ultimately, that falls on me.”
Allen’s initial pass attempt to rookie Keon Coleman was incomplete; Coleman was flagged for offensive pass interference, which the Texans chose to decline. On second down with 27 seconds remaining, Allen threw deep to Mack Hollins, but the ball fell incomplete. On third down, Allen aimed for Curtis Samuel, who slipped before the pass reached him, resulting in another incomplete throw.
“Overall, that’s on me,” McDermott said when asked if he supported the play calls during that sequence. “We need to do better, and I need to do better in that situation.”
Allen, along with offensive linemen Connor McGovern and David Edwards, expressed support for being “aggressive” during that crucial moment.
“Coach trusts us to execute out there,” Allen said. “I would definitely like to have converted in that moment. Hindsight is 20-20, but that’s the reality.”
Following a 13-yard punt return to the Texans’ 41-yard line, Houston executed one play for five yards, setting the stage for the 59-yard field goal attempt. Bills linebacker Dorian Williams was late getting onto the field, arriving just 12 seconds before the snap, and cornerback Rasul Douglas noted that Williams seemed unaware of the play.
“We intended to go with a nickel defense, and Dorian was on the sideline,” McDermott explained. “We lacked the necessary communication, which caused him to be late with the call.”
The Texans clinched the victory with a 59-yard field goal by Ka’imi Fairbairn as time expired.
On the day, Bills receivers managed to catch only 4 of 18 targets, marking the team’s lowest reception percentage since 2009 and the lowest by any team’s wide receivers with at least 15 targets since 2016.
Allen completed 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards and one touchdown, which went to Coleman. The Bills missed their leading receiver, Khalil Shakir, due to an ankle injury. Allen’s performance resulted in the lowest completion percentage for a game with at least 30 attempts in the last 30 years. He acknowledged the need to improve his play, especially regarding ball placement and open routes. Coleman attributed the difficulties to self-inflicted issues, emphasizing communication problems.
“I would never criticize Josh,” Edwards said. “He is the heartbeat of our offense and our team. Our success relies on him. I recognize I could have done better on some of those plays, so this loss isn’t on Josh.”