Texans Defense Fuels Huge Win over Bills on MNF to Improve to 6-5 and Keep Season Alive

What a season it has been for the Houston Texans. This team entered the year with the expectations of being a legitimate contender, only to fall straight into an 0-3 hole that buried any early optimism.

From there, Houston scraped together a few wins to inch closer to .500, then lost C.J. Stroud to injury and looked like the season might spiral again. Instead, everything flipped.

Backup Davis Mills stepped in and rattled off three straight wins, and none were bigger than Thursday night’s 23-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills. With a 5-5 record entering the night, Houston had a chance to have a winning record for the first time all season, and in the biggest spot of the year, the Texans delivered in front of their home crowd.

This one was fueled by defense. Houston has been the best defensive unit in football this season, and again, it showed. But the offense also supplied 23 points, which proved just as important in a game that demanded every inch. The night started slow for Houston, putting up only three points in the first quarter, but the defense held Buffalo to six. The Bills added another field goal in the second to go up 9-3, but Houston responded with a 12-play, 77-yard touchdown drive to take its first lead at 10-9. Just one defensive snap later, the Texans came away with an interception that set up a field goal to push the lead to 13-9.

Buffalo answered with a kick return touchdown to retake the lead at 16-13, but Houston punched right back with a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to go up 20-16. That held as the halftime score. From there, it was a punt-heavy start to the third, until a Bills fumble late in the quarter gave Houston the short field it needed to tack on a field goal and extend the lead to 23-16 entering the final frame.

Buffalo struck next with a field goal to cut it to 23-19 late in the fourth, and the Bills had a chance to win it late after getting a stop and the ball back. Josh Allen led a 60-yard drive in the final minutes and even got Buffalo into the red zone with some trickery, but Houston’s defense slammed the door. Calen Bullock picked off Allen -- his third forced turnover of the night -- at the nine yard line to seal the game, capping one of the defense’s most dominant performances of the season.

Allen was sacked eight times, the most of his career, and finished with zero touchdowns after producing six last week. Houston stacked up 11 tackles for loss and forced three turnovers, and even though Buffalo outgained the Texans in total plays, yards per play, passing yards, and rushing yards, Houston’s ability to make the game-changing plays decided everything.

Offensively, Davis Mills finished 16-30 for two touchdowns and zero interceptions, managing the game and protecting the football. Woody Marks carried 16 times for 74 yards. Nico Collins added three catches for 55, Christian Kirk chipped in five for 54 and a score, and Jaden Higgins finished with four receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.

This was an incredible win that flips the entire narrative of the season. Houston moves to 6-5, the playoffs are firmly in front of them, they’re playing their best football, and there’s a real chance C.J. Stroud returns next week after an extended break.

A huge divisional game is next on the docket, as the Texans will travel to take on the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 30 in what will be the biggest game of their season.