In a thrilling matchup against his former team, Stefon Diggs expressed how much the Houston Texans’ 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills meant to him as the team improved to a 4-1 record. This marked the first meeting between the Texans and Bills since Diggs was traded to Houston in the offseason.
Throughout the week leading up to the game, Diggs managed to contain his emotions, opting not to emphasize the significance of the game to his teammates. However, following the win, he was grateful for the support from his teammates, who understood the game’s importance to him.
“We got a dub this week. We 1-0. Obviously, playing my old team, I’m not going to sit here and act like it was just regular,” Diggs remarked. “It meant a lot to me… but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean a lot to me.”
The Texans made a strong start, taking a 14-3 lead in the first quarter, highlighted by wide receiver Nico Collins’ impressive 67-yard touchdown catch. Unfortunately, Collins left the game with a hamstring injury on that play and did not return. Despite this setback, quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 331 yards and achieved a passer rating of 97, relying on Diggs, who led the team with 82 receiving yards.
Stroud noted the importance of the victory for Diggs, acknowledging the emotional significance of playing against his former team. “He just wanted to play well against [them]. He did a good job by just letting his emotions affect his play, and he played great,” Stroud said.
Despite a couple of second-half turnovers by Stroud that allowed the Bills to tie the game, he successfully led the Texans into field goal range in the final seconds. Kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn then sealed the victory with a 59-yard field goal.
Head coach DeMeco Ryans’ game plan effectively contained Bills quarterback Josh Allen, limiting him to just 131 passing yards, his lowest of the season. The Texans’ defense played a crucial role, employing a strong pass rush and tight coverage against the Bills’ receiving corps. Allen’s completion percentage fell to 30.0%, marking the lowest for a quarterback with at least 30 attempts in the past three decades.
“Really happy for Diggs. I knew how important this win was for him,” Ryans commented. “We had to get this one for Diggs.”
With a challenging matchup ahead against the New England Patriots in Week 6, the Texans may need to adjust without Collins. Sources indicate he experienced tightness in his hamstring after his touchdown run and opted not to continue playing. Ryans stated that Collins would be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.