Welcome to the Week 12 edition of 'Speaking with the Enemy,' a new weekly feature here at Toro Times where I'll be sleuthing for some intel on each week's Houston Texans opponent.
This week, ahead of a short week showdown with the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, I checked in with Brandon Ray of BuffaloLowDown to get a Western New York perspective on this matchup between AFC hopefuls.
Sonny Giuliano: Thanks for taking the time to talk with me about this matchup, Brandon. So, last October when Buffalo visited Houston, the Texans bottled up Josh Allen in a way very few defenses have, limiting him to just 9 completions on 30 attempts for 131 yards and a touchdown. Can you provide an explanation as to why Josh had such difficulty against Houston's D, and what might be different this time around?
Brandon Ray: Josh Allen and the Bills always find themselves in a game where they just don't show up to play. This season, that happened in Week 10 against the Miami Dolphins, and hopefully it's the only one. With Houston specifically, the defense is legit and because the lack of separation that the Bills' wideouts get, it forces Allen to hang onto the ball longer and give edge rushers more time to make a play. Last year's matchups was just horrific for the Bills, and they were only lucky that they lost by 3 points.
SG: Let's stick with Josh for a second... numbers-wise, he's on pace to have a superior season to his 2024 campaign, which earned him his first MVP. Passing yards per game is up, completion percentage is up, passer rating is up. Why isn't he getting quite the same MVP love, even after a 6 touchdown performance last week?
BR: With the Bills being at 7-3 and looking up in the AFC East to the New England Patriots, that could be a factor. However, the offense for the Bills hasn't been dynamic as it was last season. Last year, it seemed like Allen was setting some new franchise or NFL record every week. That isn't the case this season. However, if he has a similar performance against Houston like he did against Tampa Bay, he will put himself back as a serious contender for the award.
SG: What's the latest on the Keon Coleman situation?
BR: It will be interesting to see if Coleman will suit up for the Bills for this game, especially with how Gabe Davis and Tyrell Shavers performed against the Bucs. Coleman has owned up to his mistakes and the hope is that he will learn from them and grow as a player. However, it's all about action rather than just talk. Personally, the Bills shouldn't let Coleman dress because it is a short week, and because of how impactful players like Davis and Shavers were in their last game.
SG: As a Western New Yorker (but not a lifelong Bills fan) myself, I like to think I'm relatively tuned in on all things Bills. But year after year, I can't seem to get a firm grasp on how the fanbase is feeling about Sean McDermott. Where do things stand right now, and if Buffalo comes up short of the Super Bowl again, is he in serious danger of potentially losing his job?
BR: While McDermott has taken on a lot of heat over the years from coming up short, I find it extremely hard to believe that the Bills will move on from McDermott, barring a huge collapse for the rest of this season. Buffalo is big with continuity and even if the Bills fall short of the Super Bowl once again, McDermott is more than likely coming back. However, I wouldn't rule out anything either because if history does repeat itself where the Bills lose to the Chiefs, it would not be surprising for there to be serious consideration of moving on from McDermott.
SG: Give me a few words on James Cook's 2025 campaign. I was doing some digging today and I was actually pretty surprised to see that he's on pace for the 3rd-highest single season rushing total in Bills history, trailing only a pair of seasons from OJ Simpson.
BR: I would make the argument that outside of Week 1 and Week 11 where Josh Allen was carrying the team, James Cook has been Buffalo's MVP most of this season. He's proving doubters wrong about his contract extension that he got this summer and without him, the Bills wouldn't have the offensive firepower that they do out of the backfield.
SG: Give me one under the radar player that Texans fans should be looking out for on Thursday night.
BR: Believe it or not, I'm going with running back Ty Johnson. He can block out of the backfield, run the ball hard to gain extra yards, and also catch passes in the flat. He had a great receiving touchdown last week for the Bills and he is a lot more valuable than people think. The Texans should be a little concerned when he is on the field because he is so versatile.
SG: If Buffalo goes into Houston and does what they couldn't do last year -- get a win -- what will be the biggest reason why?
BR: It's going to be because of the wide receivers, believe it or not. If they are able to get separation from Houston's defenders and not force Allen to make a play in a tight window, that will really help out the balance of the offense. Like I stated before, the receivers need to get separation to make life easier on this offense. If they get open, that helps Allen with not getting chased or hit as much from guys like Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.