Houston’s defense was a key factor, forcing three turnovers and sacking Bills QB Josh Allen eight times.
Texans backup QB Davis Mills won his third straight game in place of the injured C.J. Stroud.
The loss for Buffalo gives the New England Patriots a two-game lead in the AFC East.
If you don’t like NFL football on Thursday nights … then you missed an eventful affair.
The Houston Texans corralled the Buffalo Bills 23-19 to kick off Week 12 of the 2025 season in a game that featured valiant efforts on both sides – and even by the officials – in a contest that could have far-reaching implications on the playoff and MVP races.
Houston’s defense was probably the story of the night as the Texans won for the fourth time in the past five games to improve their odds of making the playoffs and possibly winning a third straight AFC South crown. But it was hardly alone in terms of the winners and losers beyond the scoreboard …
WINNERS
Texans defense
It bottled up Bills QB Josh Allen, the reigning league MVP, while forcing three turnovers and bowing up on third downs and in the red zone. Had Buffalo not scored on special teams, this game wouldn’t have been close.
Bills Mafia
They travel well, y’all, and successfully crossed the border into the Lone Star State. Buffalo’s fans were frequently in full throat throughout the night, notably on Ray Davis’ 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown before halftime.
Davis Mills
Houston’s QB2 maybe seemed a touch incidental while passing for 153 yards. But two of his 16 completions went for touchdowns as Mills won his third consecutive game since starter C.J. Stroud went down with a concussion. Stroud seems poised to return with another 10 days to rest before Houston’s next game … but if he doesn’t, no on-field worries.
Hail Mary sack?
So maybe it wasn’t an important enough sequence to require a nickname, but let’s underscore that Texans DE Will Anderson ran more than 50 yards to bag Allen for one of Houston’s sacks. Anderson has at least one sack in six consecutives games, currently the longest streak in the league.
Fourth-and-27
The Bills converted one on their last drive, and the dynamic execution of the play seemed to foretell a comeback … which was not to be. Still, exceptional play design to extend their chances.
New England Patriots
Tied for the league’s best record at 9-2 and with one win over the Bills already in the bag, their advantage in the AFC East grew to two games without even invoking the tiebreaker.
LOSERS
Josh Allen
Just days after he passed for three touchdowns and ran for three more, Allen, the reigning league MVP (for now) and a man responsible for an NFL-best 28 TDs in 2025, didn’t account for even one in Thursday’s defeat. He was sacked a career-high eight times, hit a total of 12 and was frequently running for his life behind a battered O-line – and actually covered nearly 900 actual yards with his legs over the course of the game, per Next Gen Stats. His second pick of the night came on his 34th and final throw, cinching the game for Houston. It was Allen’s first loss in a Thursday game after he’d started 8-0 in midweek matchups.
Terrel Bernard
Buffalo’s defensive captain left the game with an elbow injury that left him in obvious pain and, later, a sling. Yet another blow this team can hardly afford.
Texans’ Battle Red/Bold Bull uniforms
The Texans are selling their red alternate uniforms quite hard, even giving them dual branding. But meh. The helmet is a mix of red chrome and candy paint red flakes – a nice effect actually, but it overwhelms a fairly drab, red uniform. The horns on the helmet are so dark and devoid of trim, they’re almost hard to make out – though it’s almost a satanic vibe up close. Nah.
Adrian Hill
The game’s referee suffered an apparent non-contact leg injury while running in one of the end zones midway through the third quarter. Hill was carted off the field and had to be replaced by umpire Roy Ellison as the crew scrambled to get him mic’d up while adjusting to being a man down.
Keon Coleman
Buffalo’s second-year receiver, the 33rd overall pick of last year’s draft, remains in coach Sean McDermott’s doghouse and was a healthy scratch for the second time in five days. The decision was especially notable given the Bills were without injured TE Dalton Kincaid and WRs Curtis Samuel and Mecole Hardman.
Indianapolis Colts
Lose Sunday at Kansas City, then they’ll only be two games up on the surging Texans in the AFC South race. And with the division rivals yet to meet in 2025, that would open a path for Houston to reclaim the first-place perch its enjoyed in recent years.