Studs and duds from Bills' discouraging 23-20 to Texans

The Buffalo Bills saw mixed performances from their players in their 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday.

Anthony Miller | Oct 6, 2024

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The Buffalo Bills mounted an unexpected 17-point comeback in the second half of their Week 5 clash with the Houston Texans, but it was ultimately for naught, as poor clock management positioned Houston to win the game with a last-second 59-yard field goal.

Buffalo's defense improved its performance from last week, but the unit still allowed C.J. Stroud to throw for over 300 yards. The offense was lifeless throughout much of the game; though there were promising moments, the scoreline is not necessarily an accurate indicator of how 'close' the game was.

With that, here are the studs and duds from the Bills' loss to the Texans on Sunday.

Studs: RB James Cook

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The Bills leaned on Cook for consistent production early as the passing game was out of sync, and he answered, at points being the team's only consistent offensive option. Cook finished the game with 20 carries for 82 yards and a score and had another 17 yards through the air. He had multiple runs where he was able to barrel over guys for extra yards and use his quick feet to make guys miss and pick up some ground.

Duds: Bills Secondary

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Buffalo's defensive line and linebackers performed well, with DeWayne Carter and Dorian Williams flashing, in particular. The secondary struggled, however, particularly the safeties. Rookie safety Cole Bishop had his ups and downs, including a miscommunication with Rasul Douglas that resulted in a 67-yard Nico Collins touchdown late in the first quarter. The group surrendered 331 passing yards, and they'll hope to get Taylor Rapp (and key nickel defender Taron Johnson) back from injury soon enough.

Studs: LB Terrel Bernard

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Welcome back to the starting lineup, Terrel Bernard, who shined in his return from a pectoral injury. His biggest play of the game came in the fourth quarter when he picked off Stroud in Buffalo territory to stop a moving Texans drive. He finished with five tackles, one pass deflection, and one interception in the loss. There was definite improvement from the defense at linebacker, with Bernard playing a huge role in that.

Duds: Bills Receivers

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The Bills' wide receivers received 18 targets from Josh Allen, but just four were caught. Keon Coleman had the lone big play, as his one reception went 49 yards for a thrilling touchdown. Mack Hollins and Curtis Samuel had the other catches with Hollins racking up 27 yards and Samuel had zero. All the talk about Buffalo not needing a No. 1 receiver may change tones after two straight weeks of struggles.

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