The Houston Texans travel to New York to face the Buffalo Bills in a 1 p.m. ET AFC contest this Sunday, as the Texans come into this matchup as a huge underdog, and with the way the Bills have been playing as of late, that is no surprise.
The Bills enter the Week 4 contest having won their past two games and putting over 35 points in each of those contests. Bills quarterback Josh Allen has seemed to hit his stride and is currently playing like a potential NFL MVP candidate.
The Houston Texans roll into Buffalo on a two-game losing streak. With Tyrod Taylor still out from injury, the Texans are working to find their identity and gain some consistency in their offensive attack.
If the Houston Texans can get some monumental performances from a few of their key players, an upset may be brewing in Buffalo on Sunday.
One player to watch is rookie quarterback Davis Mills, who needs to perform better than expected if the Houston Texans have any chance at beating the Bills on Sunday. Last week, Mills didn’t test his ability and that was in part due to the play calling from the offensive coaching staff, including coordinator Tim Kelly.
Mills will need to take some risks down the field and do so while not creating turnovers. He did a fantastic job at not getting into turnover trouble last week, but that was due to the lack of downfield throws he made.
Last week against the Carolina Panthers, Mills averaged six yards per attempt for the Texans. If he can raise that number up it will spread out the offense and create opportunities for many players on the offense.
Mills will need to have a career game with his throwing and decision-making to keep the Texans scoring points and ultimately make this game competitive.
It may seem like an impossible task, but here's how the #Texans can beat the #Bills https://t.co/dF7G0zzKyq
— Toro Times (@Texans_TT) September 27, 2021
Houston Texans: Ingram. needs more production to help the Texans
Against the Carolina Panthers in Week 3, the Houston Texans managed 42 rushing yards. If the Texans want any chance at beating the Bills this Sunday, their run game must improve and improve immensely.
This starts with Mark Ingram. He is the leader in that running back room and is looked at as the most productive running back for the Texans. Ingram’s season started very well with his Week 1 performance but has since cooled off and his production has declined each week since.
Not only does having Ingram’s numbers improve help Mills at quarterback, but it also keeps the Bills offense off the field. The Bills have the potential to put up points and put them up quickly, so any chance to slow that down it needs to be done.
If the Texans can manage the time of possession throughout the game they may be able to keep the Bills offense at bay, and that all starts with Ingram getting his game going for the Texans.
A third player to watch is Whitney Mercilus. The nine-year NFL veteran’s on-field production has been underwhelming this season. Mercilus is looked at as a leader on the defensive side of the ball, and with the depth of the Texans defense getting tested each week, this week that leadership needs to come out on the field.
The Bills have averaged over 100 yards rushing each week this season from their running backs and their mobile quarterback. If the coaching staff and players can get on the same page they may be able to slow down the Buffalo rushing attack.
Mercilus commands that defensive line and if he can lead by example on Sunday, the Texans can slow down the Bills offense and make them one-dimensional. A one-dimensional offense is easier to defend and that will only swing things in the Texans favor in this matchup on Sunday.