The Buffalo Bills surprised the NFL world by trading Stefon Diggs to the Houston Texans in April.
The Bills ate over $31 million in dead money and took a $4 million cap hit to part ways with quarterback Josh Allen‘s No. 1 wide receiver. Buffalo also sent Houston a 2024 sixth-round pick and a 2025 fifth-round pick. In exchange, the Bills received a 2025 second-rounder.
The Week 5 matchup on Sunday, October 5 marks the first time Diggs faces his former team since the trade. During a Mad Dog Sports Radio appearance, Texans wide receiver Nico Collins shared how the team is extra motivated to defeat Buffalo.
“We know it’s a big game for Stef,” Collins said. “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.”
For Bills Mafia, the narrative that Buffalo wronged Diggs is manufactured drama.
"We know it's a big game for Stef. We know what we gotta do, we gotta go out here and win for Stef." #Texans superstar WR Nico Collins tells @AdamSchein the team knows how important this game is for Stefon Diggs against the Bills.
🎧 https://t.co/jP0HFpEWEm pic.twitter.com/Ci7bKRhYU8— Mad Dog Sports Radio (@MadDogRadio) October 4, 2024
NYUpstate’s Ryan Talbot posted, “Texans players playing this up as a revenge game for Diggs is as weird as the Bengals getting upset about the Bills selling presale tickets in the playoffs. What exactly is Diggs getting revenge for? Becoming a household name in Buffalo? Getting paid big money by the Bills?”
One person replied, “It’s a Josh Allen revenge game. His star receiver forced his way out and publicly trashed him. Why is the narrative all about Diggs getting ‘revenge.'”
Bills QB Josh Allen and Texans WR Stefon Diggs Shared Their Thoughts on Being Opponents in Week 5
While we may never know what broke the final straw, there were years of tension between Diggs and the Bills. Despite the drama, Allen and Diggs keep their public comment about one another positive.
“I got a lot of love for him,” Allen told reporters of Diggs on October 2. “I still do. The things he did for me in my career and the things he did in a Buffalo Bill uniform won’t be forgotten anytime soon, especially from me. That’s how I look at it… I’m just trying to focus on what we got goin’ in this building.”
Diggs told reporters he planned to “block out the noise” this week. “A lot of other people are going to feel away or have a lot to say about X,Y, Z, and I don’t mind. I’m not mad at it,” the four-time Pro Bowler said. “Just trying to go 1-0. Obviously, they’re a good team. They have a lot of guys that can fly around on the defense. But they’re a really good team. So, I look forward to it.”
Bills QB Josh Allen Is Doing Fine Without Stefon Diggs
After Diggs’ departure, Joe Brady’s offense implemented the “everybody eats” mentality. Instead of having one top receiver, Allen is successfully passing the ball around, save for last week’s 35-10 beatdown by the Baltimore Ravens.
Allen was named the AFC’s Player of the Month for September after throwing for 814 yards with 109 rushing yards and 9 total touchdowns. While the Bills are dealing with numerous key injuries on both offense and defense heading into Week 5, Buffalo must find a way to bounce back after their devastating Week 4 loss.
As for Diggs, voted team captain in Houston, he’s doing fine without Allen. The 30-year-old receiver registered 25 receptions for 233 yards and two touchdowns in four games. The Texans and Bills both enter Sunday’s matchup at NRG Stadium 3-1.
