What are the 3 main reasons the Houston Texans can shock the Buffalo Bills?

The Buffalo Bills running game isn’t too crazy for the Houston Texans to stop

The Bills are coming off a 2020 campaign where their leading rusher barely had 700 yards last season. Singletary averaged 42.9 yards per game in an offense in which throwing the ball is synonymous with breathing.

Devin Singletary was that leading rusher for the team last season, and so far through three games, Singletary is averaging 60 yards per game. Statistically better, but most of those yards came in the first two games. When the Houston Texans were stacked up against Christian McCaffrey last week, many thought Houston would be steamrolled.

Technically that didn’t happen due to the injury McCaffrey sustained, but up until that had happened, CMC had not been much of a threat. The defensive effort from this part of Lovie Smith’s game plan must carry over.

Buffalo’s usage of personnel is more spread out through 2021 as opposed to last year, where they ran 71% of their plays in 11 personnel. A look here shows where they’ve diversified (change the year in the upper left-hand corner first to 2021).

Buffalo still relies on a zone scheme and wide receivers to chip in their efforts blocking as well. Blocking a lot is one of the reasons Stefon Diggs wanted out of Minnesota. So if the Texans can keep gap responsibility, shed blocks on the perimeter, and make Buffalo beat them by throwing the ball, then the Texans can get home to Allen and disrupt him with their defensive line.