Here's a look at what could possibly happen when the Houston Texans take on the Buffalo Bills this Sunday
The Houston Texans returned to the win column as they edged out the Jacksonville Jaguars this past weekend. Capped off by CJ Stroud's late TD pass, the Texans took home victory number three to further strengthen their hold on the AFC South. They'll be in for a tough test this Sunday as Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills visit town to try and steal one in the NRG Stadium.
A couple of storylines hype things up at present, the most popular of which involves Stefon Diggs. All eyes are on the wide receiver as he takes on his former team for the first time after being traded. There's also the CJ Stroud vs. Josh Allen duel. Two top-tier quarterbacks, Stroud and Allen are expected to give spectators quite a show with their abilities. It won't be surprising if diehard fans also make strong claims about how Sunday might be a foreshadowing of the AFC title game this season. While these aggressive takes can be debated just by the sheer existence of the Baltimore Ravens, the Kansas City Chiefs, and even the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Texans and Bills are powerhouses in their own right and shouldn't be brushed off when the topic of who might win the conference comes up.
But going back to the upcoming clash, it's definitely this weekend's marquee matchup. As for what could possibly occur during the game itself, this article will be touching on that — from a Texans standpoint, of course. Without further delay, here are some bold Week 5 predictions for Houston.
The Texans limit Buffalo's passing game
Look, Josh Allen is Josh Allen. Any football fan who doesn't live under a rock knows what he can do. However, his pass catchers are depleted on Sunday. Ruled out of the game is wide receiver Khalil Shakir, who suffered an ankle injury during the Bills' Week 4 game. Shakir stepped into Buffalo's WR1 role in the aftermath of the trade that sent Diggs to Houston. Without Shakir on the field, tight end Dalton Kincaid and rookie Keon Coleman will be Allen's main targets — a scenario that arguably gives the Texans secondary the advantage.
So far, the Texans have the fourth-best pass defense this season. They allow just 161 yards in the air per game, and this is largely attributed to Derek Stingley, who is regarded as one of the league's top cornerbacks. Stingley guarding Coleman is an absolute mismatch and it remains to be seen what the Bills will do to address this situation.
It also doesn't help how the Bills' O-line struggled during Week 4, allowing rushers to sack Allen thrice as the QB was pressured on 15 of his 34 dropbacks, per Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice. On Sunday, they'll be going against a Houston pass rush group that's led by Will Anderson Jr., who already has 2.5 sacks to his name after four outings. On the opposite side of Anderson is Danielle Hunter, who has also been making his presence felt this season (2 sacks so far). If the Bills O-line — especially their tackles — doesn't bounce back, then things might get really ugly for them again.
The Texans will force the Bills to rely mostly on the run, making the latter a one-dimensional team during the outing.
Nico Collins tallies 100+ yards and two touchdowns as Houston's receivers overwhelm the Bills
Four games in and it's clear that Nico Collins is the Texans' top pass-catcher. The wideout already has 489 receiving yards, leading the entire NFL in that category. With Joe Mixon out, Houston will heavily utilize Collins and their highly talented receiving corps as the main point of attack. And that's exactly why Collins is bound to have another stellar outing.
The Bills will put either one of their dynamic cornerbacks, Rasual Douglas or Christian Benford, on Collins. Still, whoever matches up with Collins will have their hands full on an island since they won't be getting lots of quality help near the endzone. Safety Taylor Rapp (concussion) is out on Sunday, adding more problems to a Bills secondary that has Taron Johnson listed as questionable for the game.
Buffalo can't focus too much on Collins either, looking at how the Texans arguably have the best receiver trio in the league. Stefon Diggs looks more than hungry to show out against his former team. While Diggs is now a second option and more of a possession-type receiver for Buffalo, he's still Stefon Diggs. Oh, and Buffalo has to deal with the returning Tank Dell as well. Putting Dell as WR3 gives Stroud another weapon on both the outside and (if lined up at slot) along the middle with tight end Dalton Schultz. And judging by how Buffalo's middle defenders (Baylon Spector, Dorian Williams, Cam Lewis) struggled in Week 4, favor fortunes the Texans in this one.
The Bills could try to disrupt the passing game with their rushers, but they'll have to work harder than usual with Von Miller serving a four-game suspension.
The Texans take home win number four
The Texans will get their fourth win on Sunday. CJ Stroud and his targets are just too much for a depleted Bills secondary. Josh Allen and James Cook will put up a fight on the ground, but it won't be enough to compensate for a defensive unit that has too many holes in their armor. The Stroud-Collins connection will lead the way, and Stefon Diggs will finish the game with a big smile on his face.
