The Houston Texans and the Buffalo Bills are getting ready to face off in a blockbuster AFC matchup that could go a long way towards determining playoff seeding down the line.
Both teams currently sit at 3-1, with the Texans coming off of a win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Bills looking to bounce back from a blowout loss against the Baltimore Ravens.
Sunday will also be a revenge game of sorts for Texans wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who was traded to Houston from the Bills this offseason. Diggs downplayed the matchup when asked about playing his old team, but star wideout Nico Collins is desperate to get the win for his new teammate, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk.
“We know it’s a big game for Stef,” Collins said, according to Alper. “We know what we gotta do, we gotta go out here and win for Stef. I’m happy for my dog. I’m happy that he’s part of the Texans, but know this game means a lot to him. I feel like it’s only right for us to go out there, have fun and get this win for him.”
Collins and Diggs have formed a dynamic duo for quarterback CJ Stroud in the passing game, and they will look to pull off the small upset at home on Sunday.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) looks for an open receiver as Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen (41) applies defensive pressure during the second quarter at NRG Stadium.
Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Any list of keys for any team to beat the Bills has to start with containing Josh Allen. Allen has been the best player in the NFL so far in 2024, going on a superhuman tear through the first three games before coming back down to earth a bit against the Ravens.
There Texans have a good pass rush, with Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. on the outside, but the two of them will need to be aware of their field positioning and not fly too far upfield trying to get after Allen. If they do, the Bills superstar will scramble all over the place and the Bills will be very hard to stop.
It will also be very interesting to watch the strength-on-strength matchup when the Bills have the ball in this one. The Texans have been very good when playing man coverage this season, leading the league with a 69.2% success rate in man, according to PFF. Allen has thrived against man coverage this season, which allows him to pick on matchups and opens up lanes for him as a scrambler. The Bills will have a harder time against man without Khalil Shakir, one of their best route runners.
Offensively, CJ Stroud should be able to attack the middle of the Bills defense that is very banged up and got picked on by the Ravens last week. Stroud has the precision as a passer and the weapons on the outside to take advantage of this, and Sunday’s matchup could be very high-scoring as a result.
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