The Houston Texans entered Week 13 on a four-game winning streak due mostly to a shutdown defense that held three different teams to six points apiece in November. The Buffalo Bills ended all that by running, running and running some more to the tune of 187 yards en route to a 30-21 victory.
Bills go back to basics to shut down hot Texans
Run the ball, run the ball and run the ball some more was the gameplan to down the Texans.
Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
By the end of the game, Tyrod Taylor had a grand total of 21 pass attempts, the same amount of rushing attempts that LeSean McCoy took despite the running back leaving the game for a while to be evaluated for a concussion. The Bills also got Mike Gillislee involved for 41 yards on seven rushing attempts and Taylor had seven rushes of his own for 28 yards. Those didn't compare to the 112 yards gained by McCoy.
For all the great defense that the Texans had played as of late, the team’s weakness was still its ability to stop a grinding rushing attack and the Bills stuck to it. Houston entered the game No. 3 against the pass, but the 4.3 yards per carry allowed by the defense on the season ranked No. 23 in the NFL.
And so the Bills didn't get cute. On the few times that Taylor did throw, the team looked for Sammy Watkins often and connected with him three times for 109 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Taylor also connected with Robert Woods on a 2-yard score and finished the game with a 40-yard touchdown pass to Charles Clay that gave the Bills a lead they didn't give back.
On defense, the Bills did a good job at shutting down DeAndre Hopkins until the end of the game. It wasn't until the fourth quarter that Brian Hoyer finally started forcing the ball to Hopkins, who was held to just one reception for 6 yards until deep into the third quarter. Hopkins finished with five receptions for 88 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter that tied the game.
But the Bills provided the blueprint for beating the Texans: run the ball on offense and stop Hopkins on defense.
The win for the Bills improved their record on the year to 6-6 and keeps the team in the thick of the AFC Wild Card race, while the loss drops the Texans to a matching 6-6 record. The Indianapolis Colts entered the week tied with the Texans for the AFC South lead and have the chance to take sole ownership if they can earn a Sunday Night Football victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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