The Skinny:
The Bills scored nine points in the final 1:53 to hold off the high flying Texans 30-21 at Ralph Wilson Stadium to keep their playoff hopes alive. Tyrod Taylor hit a wide open Charles Clay for a 40 yard touchdown pass to give the team the lead back after the Texans had tied it early in the fourth quarter. Nothing is ever easy for the Bills though as Dan Carpenter missed the extra point to give the Bills just a six point lead. The defense came up big though forcing a four and out than Carpenter clinched the game with a 36 yard field goal. The two teams traded touchdowns all game as Taylor threw three touchdown passes and ran for a fourth. He got the scoring started with a three yard touchdown to Sammy Watkins who also caught two 53 yard bombs in the game. He also hit Robert Woods for a score. They concentrated on the ground game though as LeSean McCoy ran for 112 yards on 21 carries and the Bills expertly kept J.J. Watt from running wild as he had only four tackles and no sacks in the game. The Bills led 21-13 at halftime as the Texans had a missed extra point as well. After a scoreless third quarter the Texans tied it on a DeAndre Hopkins 19 yard catch and a Jonathan Grimes two point conversion run. The game was capped when Marcus Easley, yes the wide receiver, picked off a pass in the end zone.
The Turning Point:
McCoy 20 Yard Run: With the game tied at 21 and the momentum shifting to the Texans, the Bills had a 2nd and 8 at their own 37 with 2:16 to go and McCoy took the hand off when to the left side and rumbled 20 yards for a first down into Texans territory. It led to the winning score
The Big Drive:
The Winning TD Drive: The Bills went 65 yards in just four plays to the winning touchdown with 1:53 left. McCoy had the big 20 yarder on the drive but it was capped by a 40 yard pass to Clay and you may never see somebody that open again. Taylor also hit Chris Hogan for a 12 yard gain that helped them overcome a holding penalty on Kraig Urbik.
Stat I Did Like:
Red Zone Efficiency: The Bills were 3 for 4 in the red zone setting for a field goal in the final seconds on the fourth. They were 3 for 3 on goal to goal situations
Stat I Didn't Like:
Net Yard Given Up: They allowed a Brian Hoyer led offense to gain 401 yards in the game but they came up with big stops down the stretch.
Scene Setters: - It was an unusually warm day for December in Buffalo with temperatures approaching the 50s. A light frost on the field in the morning quickly gave way to perfect playing conditions. - The Bills wore their blue jerseys with white pants. - Security measures were amped up because of the recent events around the world. There were more police and armed military around the stadium. The police sweeped the stadium with dogs before the game. - J.J. Watt went around the stadium during pregame warmups playing catch with the fans in the stands. - No surprises on the Bills inactive list but the Texans lost starting guard Brandon Brooks before the game when he was taken away by an ambulance with an undisclosed illness.
Key Matchup Results:
The winners of the battles highlighted in our preview article: RT Jordan Mills vs. DE J.J. Watt: Winner: Mills. He was fantastic against Watt and anyone else he had to block. Watt was shutdown most of the game. RB LeSean McCoy vs. MLB Brian Cushing: Winner: McCoy. He had his sixth straight 100 yard from scrimmage game and controlled the game. CB Stephon Gilmore vs. WR DeAndre Hopkins: Winner: Gilmore. Hopkins was kept under wraps for the most part except for the tying drive when he beat Ronald Darby twice but he blatantly pushed off both times. DE Jerry Hughes vs. LT Duane Brown: Winner: Hughes. He had a sack that thwarted a promising Texans drive in the first half than a big pressure in the final minutes to force an incompletion.
Keys To The Game Results:
How the keys highlighted in our preview article turned out: 1. Find Different Ways To Score: Success! They ran the wildcat offense a lot and tried different things to move the football. They scored four touchdowns against a defense that kept the Saints out of the end zone last week for the first time in a decade. 2. Blitz Early And Often: Success! They didn't blitz that often but when they timed them well and had success. 3. Feature Ground And Pound: Success! They are undefeated when the QB throws less than 30 times, Tyrod threw it just 21 times and they ran it 36 times.
My Take:
I was very discouraged by the play of the defense most of the game but they really shut things down when it counted late in the game without Stephon Gilmore who left with an injury. Most of the season when things started going south they continued that way but not in this game. The Titans had tied it up and it was looking a lot like the Chiefs game a week ago. The Bills dug down deep, shut the Texans offense down late in the game and the Bills made the plays to get the win. They still may not make the playoffs but at least we can dream for another week.
What's Ahead:
The Bills head back to the road for two straight games as they play NFC East opponents the next three weeks starting with a matchup in Philadelphia with the Eagles.
Gameballs
LeSean McCoy - He had 112 yards on 21 carries including a 32 and 20 yard run.
Sammy Watkins - He was only targeted four times but he made the best of them, catching a pair of 53 yard bombs and 3 yard touchdown pass.
Tyrod Taylor - Didn't have huge stats but produced with four touchdowns as he broke the club record for most consecutive passes without an interception.
Jerry Hughes - Was very active with six tackles, a sack, a big pressure, and a tackle for a loss.
Bacarri Rambo - He was the type of safety Rex Ryan loves. Hitting hard with three passes defensed and six tackles to go along with a sack.
Jordan Mills - Did a fantastic job in his first start as a Bill.
Goats
Dan Carpenter - He may have hit the big kick at the end to put it away but his missed extra point and missed 50 yarder earlier was why it was still a game.
Player Of The Week
LeSean McCoy - We knew they would ground and pound and McCoy is the reason it was successful and the engine for a solid offensive effort.
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Positional Breakdown and Grades
