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Week 13: Bills vs. Texans
 at 
Sunday, Dec. 6th
1:00pm ET
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The Bills playoff hopes are hanging by a thread and that last piece of string can break if they don't come up with a way to beat the red hot Houston Texans as the Bills return home for the first time in a month. Houston is the second opponent in a row to have a four game winning streak and feature a suffocating defense led by all world defensive end J.J. Watt. A Bills loss pretty much ends any hope of ending the 15 year postseason drought.
FACTS AND FIGURES
| Matchup: |
Buffalo (5-6) vs. Houston (6-5) |
| Place: |
Ralph Wilson Stadium |
| TV/Radio: |
Network: CBS; DirecTV: 705; Sirius: 81; XM 225 |
| Announcers: |
Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots |
| Spread: |
Bills by 3 |
| Series: |
Texans lead 4-3 |
| Streak: |
Texans Won 3 |
| Last Meeting: |
Texans 23-17 in Houston (2014) |
| Texans Offense: |
Rush (19th); Pass (12th); overall (13th) |
| Texans Defense: |
Rush (16th); Pass (3rd); overall (6th) |
| Bills Offense: |
Rush (5th); Pass (28th); overall (19th) |
| Bills Defense: |
Rush (14th); Pass (22nd); overall (19th) |
INJURY UPDATE
The Bills have placed Kyle Williams and Alex Carrington on injured reserve ending their seasons. Nigel Bradham will be out with an ankle sprain suffered against Kansas City. John Miller remains sidelined with a high ankle sprain, Karlos Williams is out with a shoulder injury, and Seantrel Henderson is doubtful at best with an illness. Mario Williams isn't 100% but will play. They are expected to get Marcus Easley back who missed the Chiefs game with a concussion.
The Texans are pretty healthy with J.J. Watt, RB Alfred Blue, WR DeAndre Hopkins, CB Johnathan Joseph, and T Derek Newton missing practice time with various injuries but all of them should play.
Check out our  Bills Daily Injury Page throughout the week for the latest updates on the injured players.
KEY MATCHUPS
RT Jordan Mills vs. DE J.J. Watt:
The Bills need to come up with a gameplan to stop the most disruptive defensive player in the game today and will have to do it with backups on the right side of the line. Mills will get his first start as a Bill and the 30th of his NFL career. Next to him at guard is journeyman Kraig Urbik who will be helping him out against the all-world Watt. The Bills must use a tight end and/or a running back to chip him as well to keep him from teeing off on Tyrod Taylor. Look for Matthew Mulligan to be at the hip of Mills most of the day.
RB LeSean McCoy vs. MLB Brian Cushing:
The Bills need to continue their recent success running the football to keep Watt from teeing off on Taylor. McCoy has five straight 100 scrimmage yard games. Cushing is the runaway leader in tackles for the Texans and will be very busy trying to keep Shady at bay.
CB Stephon Gilmore vs. WR DeAndre Hopkins:
Depending on what side the Texans leading receiver lines up on, he will go against Gilmore or rookie Ronald Darby. Either way they should get safety help most of the time to keep Hopkins from having a big day.
DE Jerry Hughes vs. LT Duane Brown:
Hughes is the only one who has had any success rushing the passer this season for the Bills. He needs to get pressure on Brian Hoyer to help the DBs keep Hopkins under wraps. Brown is an eight year veteran with a ton of starting experience and is a solid blocker.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Find Different Ways To Score: They are facing the best defense in the NFL over the past month so they need to score anyway they can. They may need the defensive or special teams to score, or setup a touchdown, to find a way to win.
2. Blitz Early And Often: This defense is at its best when they are aggressive. They need to turn up the pressure on Hoyer with a sophisticated blitz scheme that keeps him guessing and uncomfortable in the pocket.
3. Feature Ground And Pound: The stat doesn't lie, the Bills are undefeated when the QB throws less than 30 passes and winless when they throw more. They need to run early and often as they face a defense not in the top five against the run for the first time since the last time they were at home.
BILLS DAILY PREDICTION
The Texans are red hot and the Bills are a team that is spiraling downward. They are back home after a three game road trip but they have not had too much success at the Ralph this season. All this points to a Texans win but I have a feeling the Bills will be desperate enough to find a way to win:
Bills 21, Texans 17
Season Prediction Record: (6-5)
Season Record Against The Spread: (5-6)
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