There are seven teams in the AFC a half-game away from being .500 and two of them will face off on Sunday when the Houston Texans travel to face the Buffalo Bills in a game with plenty of postseason implications.
Texans vs. Bills 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
The winner of a game between the Texans and Bills will be primed to win a spot in the playoffs, while the loser will likely have catching up to do.
For the 5-6 Bills, the only chance at the playoffs is to secure one of the AFC Wild Card berths now that they have been eliminated in the AFC East race, but the Texans are still in the race for the AFC South crown. After a 2-5 start to the year, Houston suddenly turned its season around after getting destroyed by the Miami Dolphins in Week 7.
The Texans have rattled off four consecutive wins and are tied with the Indianapolis Colts at 6-5, and have leaned heavily on their defense to get wins. In three of the four wins that got the Texans over .500, Houston allowed just six points, shutting down the explosive offenses of the Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints, but the Bills haven't been held under 10 points once in 2015.
Back-to-back losses for the Bills have the team in desperation mode now, and dropping to 5-7 would be a crushing blow to dwindling postseason hopes. But improving to 6-6 and earning a tiebreaker over one of the many teams in wild card contention would immediately thrust the Bills back into the race, and with three straight games against NFC East opponents on the way, Buffalo would be a favorite to earn a spot.
The key for the Bills will be establishing their ground game against the tough Texans front. While the Texans are No. 6 in total defense and No. 3 against the pass, they have pedestrian numbers against the run and allow 4.3 yards per carry, which is No. 23 in the NFL. Buffalo has eclipsed 100 yards rushing in all but two games this season and are No. 5 in rushing yards, so expect the Texans to get a healthy dose of LeSean McCoy.
For the Texans, the offense needs to continue avoiding mistakes if the team is to win a fifth straight game. After 11 turnovers in the first seven weeks, the Texans have just three turnovers in the last four games, while the defense has forced eight. Winning the turnover battle again and methodically attacking the Bills defense on a chilly Buffalo afternoon is the best plan of attack.
The last time the Bills defeated the Texans was in 2006 with J.P. Losman and Lee Evans leading the way for Buffalo. Since then, Houston has won the last three matchups, including a 23-17 victory for the Texans in 2014 that featured a touchdown each for Sammy Watkins and DeAndre Hopkins.
After abandoning Watkins in Week 12, getting the playmaker the ball like they did in a successful first half will be important for the Bills. Especially with Hopkins continuing to put up huge numbers in his third season, racking up 1,081 yards and at least five receptions in every game so far in 2015.
How to watch
When: 1 p.m. ET
Where: Ralph Wilson Stadium, Orchard Park, N.Y.
TV: CBS
Announcers: Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
Online: NFL Game Pass
See More:
