The storylines entering Sunday’s matchup at NRG stadium were endless, but of course nothing could trump Texans receiver Stefon Diggs facing his former Buffalo Bills team.
There was a strong argument to be made leading into the week five tilt that is was in fact the marquee matchup in the entire league. The Texans and Bills were the only two teams facing off that were leading their respective divisions, and were the only 3-1 teams playing against each other.
At the close of business, the game didn’t disappoint and ended in dramatic fashion with Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn’s booming 59-yard field goal sailing through the uprights and into the arms of a fan in the first row for a 23-20 Texans victory.
What the victory means for the Texans at the end of the regular season is to be determined, but just like a handful of plays that usually determine the outcome of a game on any given Sunday, the victory over the Bills may end up being one of the most impactful at seasons end.
Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans couldn’t have said it much better at the end of the game. He pointed to some of the most important plays of the game that should continue to help galvanize his squad into the next quarter of the season.
“Today it was just really cool to see our guys make the plays they needed to make in situational football,” Ryans said. “We stepped up and made the plays at that particular time there at the end of the half. Being able to get points, to end of game, just the way we ended it as a football team.
“Tommy [Townsend] getting a big punt for us. Pinning them there at the two. Defense standing up and making three big stops, and then ‘Rob’ [Robert Woods] with his return to get us at midfield. C.J. [Stroud] to Dare [Ogunbowale], it was just everybody working together. That was a big goal for us this week. How can you help the team win a game, and our guys were clutch in the critical moments.”
Below are some of the top plays that I believe determine Sunday’s outcome:
The one and only
Khalil Davis helped set the tone early on defense. After the Texans went three-and-out on their first offensive series, the Bills beginning with a short field, at the Texans 49- yard line marched to the nine yard line and had a first and goal.
Davis, playing a five-technique, got skinny down the line of scrimmage, took on two blockers and stuffed the run, sending Bills running back James Cook backwards for a one yard loss.
On the very next play, Davis sacked Josh Allen for a five yard loss, creating a third-and-goal from the 15-yards line.
That was the only sack of the game for the Texans and it was a big one.
The Texans had the Bills out-numbered on the play. Henry To’oTo’o showed blitz, putting left guard David Edwards into a “pick your poison” situation. He had to pick up either To’oTo’o or Davis and he was going to be wrong either way.
Those two plays helped stifle the drive. If the Bills would’ve scored a touchdown on the drive, the complexion of the game changes immediately.
Don’t you Dare?
Dare Ogunbowale is making the best of his opportunities this season. He’s become more than just a special teams ace, he’s become a go-to guy for CJ Stroud and the Texans on third-downs.
Looking to respond after the Bills field goal drive, the Texans faced a third-and-five from their own 35-yard line.
Stroud sent Ogunbowale in motion pre-snap, created a mismatch for the Bills defense, outnumbering them three receivers to just two defensive backs.
Stroud knew it was an all or nothing play, allowing defensive end AJ Epenesa to rush free.
The Bills defense probably thought Dare was being motioned over to help block the end, but instead leaked out into flat for a 28-yards catch and run.
The Texans scored a touchdown three plays later, a pivotal response to the Bills taking an early 3-0 lead, while complimenting the early defensive efforts by the Texans.
Houston converted eight of their 16 third-down opportunities in the win.
FOUR the love of …
After holding the Bills offense to just 43 yards on their first four possessions, the Texans were looking to add to their 14-3 lead.
After a five-yard loss by Tank Dell that forced the Texans into a third-and-14, Dare Ogunbowale’s 13 yard run to the Bills 16 yard line had the Texans hungry to keep the momentum churning.
However, deciding to hurry up to the line and go-for-it on fourth-and-one, the Texans ran a tight formation, allowing the Bills to pin their ears back and stuff an Ogunbowale run, killing an 11-play, 65-yards drive.
If the Texans drive had continued, maybe they would’ve gone up 21-3, making it a three-score game midway through the second quarter. At the very least, they could’ve taken the three-points, in which the game was ultimately decided.
You could say it was no harm, no foul, but when this Texans team has now won all four games by fewer than six points, I think we’d all agree that points are at a premium and if they’re going to go for it in those situations, offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik has to bring it with better play calling.
That one hurt
The third quarter was a rough one on the Texans. After forcing the Bills to punt on six of their seven first half possessions, holding them to just three points, the Texans committed six penalties alone in the third quarter, costing them 55 yards.
But, what really hurt was allowing Bills receiver Keon Coleman to get loose on a fourth-and-five from the Texans 49-yard line for a touchdown, cutting into the Texans lead to make it a 20-17 game.
It breathed life back into the team that should’ve been in peril earlier in the game if not for the Texans squandering their own opportunity to convert a big fourth down.
Standing on business
The Texans held the Bills to zero yards on both of their final two possessions.
ZERO.
It was a collective effort and one in which the Texans haven’t seen the likes of the previous four weeks.
Yes, there are still plenty of things they have to work on, but they beat a good team and executed in all three phases when the game was on the line.
From an excellent punt, to not giving an inch to Allen and the Bills on either one of their final two possessions to doing everything in their power to give Ka’imi Fairbairn the opportunity to be the hero again, is what really talented, well coached teams do against other good teams.
Name of the game
Is execution.
As it stands right now, no other team in the league could’ve handled and executed the final sequence of events better than the Texans did on Sunday.
The defensive stand deep into Bills territory was one thing, but for Robert Woods to give the Texans and specifically Ka’imi Fairbairn a chance to win it was huge.
Woods had a bit of a blunder earlier in the quarter on a punt return, deciding to try and return it after fielding a punt inside the five-yard line with coverage bearing down.
However, when they needed it the most, players delivered on Sunday and Woods’ 13-yard return to the Bills 46-yard line was pivotal.
Even with two timeouts remaining, there wasn’t much the Texans could do on first-down with just seven seconds to operate, but Stroud quickly connecting with Dare on a dump off was about as perfect of a play as you could ask for given the timing aspect.
Maybe the Texans most valuable player to this point, Ka’imi Fairbairn has created an advantage that not many teams in the NFL on any given year have at their disposal.
Fairbairn has already nailed eight of nine field goal attempts from beyond 50-yards, eclipsing his previous career high of the six he made in 2022. Maybe none was bigger to date than the 59-yard bomb he nailed Sunday afternoon that propelled the Texans to victory and making them possible to ignore as a legitimate contender within the AFC.