HOUSTON – The Buffalo Bills faced a challenging match on Sunday afternoon against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium, looking to bounce back from a 35-10 loss against the Baltimore Ravens. The 3-1 Texans are acknowledged as one of the top teams in the NFL, adding to Buffalo’s struggle to regain their momentum.
Compounding the Bills’ difficulties is the presence of Stefon Diggs, the star wide receiver who was traded to Houston in the offseason. While Diggs chose to remain low-key about the matchup, both he and the Bills acknowledged the positive impact he had during his four years with Buffalo.
“Stef’s playing at a high level,” said Bills coach Sean McDermott. “He was a really good player here and competitive, and he’s highly competitive on tape. So, it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
In a thrilling conclusion, the Texans snatched victory from the Bills with a final score of 23-20, thanks to Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning field goal at the last second. With only seven seconds left on the clock, C.J. Stroud completed a quick pass to Dare Ogunbowale, setting up Fairbairn, who made a 59-yard field goal as time expired.
Josh Allen had a rough outing, completing 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. James Cook contributed with 82 rushing yards and a touchdown. On the defensive side, Dorian Williams led the Bills with 12 tackles and also recovered a fumble. Stroud finished the game completing 28 of 38 passes for 331 yards, recording one touchdown, one interception, and committing a fumble. Diggs caught six passes for 82 yards.
In the closing moments of the game, the Bills seemed poised to force overtime, but they chose to attempt three deep passes instead of running the clock down. This decision allowed Houston the opportunity to secure a last-minute victory. After starting from their 3-yard line and with no timeouts, the Bills’ deep attempts were unsuccessful, and Sam Martin’s punt gave the Texans another chance to drive down the field.
The Texans were not without their struggles either. Stroud faced a setback with an intentional grounding penalty that seemingly put them out of field goal range, but they managed to recover and set up for the winning kick.
Notably, the game saw the return of linebacker Terrel Bernard, who made an interception, while Taron Johnson remained inactive due to injury.
With the win, the Texans improved their record to 4-1, while the Bills suffered their second consecutive loss, falling to 3-2. The Bills will now look to regroup as they face a pivotal matchup against the New York Jets, who are also in need of a victory after a tough loss. The Bills maintain their position in first place in the AFC East despite the recent setbacks.