Buffalo @ Houston preview
NRG Stadium
Last Meeting ( Dec 6, 2015 ) Houston 21, Buffalo 30
The Houston Texans have found themselves in close games in each of their first five contests, and they’ve won the last two in overtime. They’ll try to make it three victories in a row when they host the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
After dropping their first three games by a total of 15 points, the Texans followed a 37-34 overtime triumph at Indianapolis with a 19-16 victory over Dallas last week. “Sometimes, just like these last two weeks, overtime wins, it went our way. The first three weeks, it didn’t go our way,” Houston quarterback Deshaun Watson told reporters. “So we just have to keep believing, keep pushing forward. That was just a situation where things just were not going our way, but now it is and we’ve got to keep it going.” The Bills also eked out a win last week as Stephen Hauschka’s 46-yard field goal gave them a 13-12 victory over Tennessee - their second triumph in three contests. Buffalo is 2-3 despite possessing the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL, which has yet to crack 300 total yards in a game.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Texans -10. O/U: 41
ABOUT THE BILLS (2-3): Buffalo’s offense hasn’t gotten off the ground, as LeSean McCoy has struggled to find running room and the passing game has not flourished under rookie quarterback Josh Allen. Allen has been effective running the ball but has thrown five interceptions and just two touchdown passes while being sacked a league-high 19 times. The defense has played inconsistently but was dominant in both of the team’s wins, holding Minnesota to 292 total yards and limiting Tennessee to 221.
ABOUT THE TEXANS (2-3): Houston has moved the ball efficiently, ranking fourth in total offense, but is just 18th in scoring. Watson has topped 375 passing yards in each of the last three games and has gone over 300 in four straight, while DeAndre Hopkins leads the league with 594 yards on 39 catches. Houston’s defense had a hiccup against the Colts, allowing a season-high 478 total yards, but returned to form last week to limit the Cowboys to 292.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Watson is the first player in NFL history with more than 1,500 yards passing and 200 rushing in the first five games of a season.
2. Houston ranks 31st in red-zone touchdown percentage (36.4) with only eight touchdowns in 22 trips inside the 20-yard line.
3. Buffalo has eight recorded takeaways in its last three games.
PREDICTION: Texans 24, Bills 13