11/20/2025 Bills @ Texans post game thread

[DapperCam]

I just took a look at Allen's sacks.

1. 2nd and 12 in the red zone, Texans rush 4 and get pressure pretty quickly. Allen should have thrown it to Knox for a 2 yard gain, but I kind of understand why he didn't (would have been 3rd and long either way).
2. 3rd and 6, Texans show pressure but only rush 4. You can tell the pressure is getting to Allen because  he takes a super deep drop back but Spencer Brown gets beat bad immediately. Allen escapes the initial pressure but it's a busted play at that point. Pressure was so fast none of the routes had a chance. This was his ridiculous 18 yard sack.
3. 3rd and 6, Texans show pressure but only rush 4. Texans run a stunt that messes up our guards/center.  Shakir was open, but Allen was already evading pressure when he broke out of his route. Ty Johnson was the safety valve, but the Texans covered it. RT gave up on his block and DE ended up chasing Allen down from behind.
4. 1st and 10, Texans bring a corner blitz. Gilliam doesn't do a very good job and Allen has to immediately try to go up and to the right in the pocket to escape. LBer brings a delayed blitz and cleans up. I can't see downfield, but the Texans brought 6 rushers here (but Allen did keep Gilliam back to protect), so you'd have to think something was open. No safety valve or blitz beater route I could see).
5. 2nd and 5, Texans bring 4. All of the routes are super deep other than an underneath route 2 yards past the LOS covered by 2 LBers. Both the RT and LT get beat like a drum here. This play had zero chance, and the sack was from the blind side. I don't think Allen should have to anticipate Dawkins getting beat like that.
6. 1st and 10, Texans bring 4. Allen saw the bubble screen to Shakir was totally covered and opted to run. He probably should have just thrown this one at his feet. Edwards got beat bad closing the running lane Allen was trying to run through to scramble.
7. 2nd and 10 (1 minute left last drive), Texans bring 4. Seems like Allen is looking for a specific deep route but doesn't pull the trigger, Knox is just uncovering when he bails, Cook is a safety valve but has a Texan on him and isn't a viable target here. Edwards gets beat causing Allen to turn the wrong way into the pressure. Honestly this one is kind of a play design fail and Allen is seeing ghosts here. There is also a delayed blitz/spy on this call but it doesn't really matter he's already down before the blitz arrives
8. 3rd and 20 (1 minute left last drive), Texans bring 3 (really 4, but the 4th doesn't seem to rush). Right tackle and left tackle are both immediately beat. This is absolutely embarrassing. You have 5 blockers for 3 rushers and let 2 through clean before Allen's back foot hits on his drop back. The play is immediately dead and Allen has to bail. That 4th rusher plus a spy clean up.

 

So I would say sack #1 he should have thrown to Knox for a 2 yard gain or thrown it away. On sack #4 it's possible somebody should be just starting to become open before he eats it due to the blitz. On sack #6 he probably should have just thrown to the feet of Shakir.

The other sacks he had basically zero chance due to play design, down/distance, and offensive line play. For almost all of these the Texans are only rushing 4 and not blitzing. Usually there is also a spy (usually LBer number zero). Another theme is that immediate pressure leads to a busted play. It doesn't really matter if anybody is open (I don't think they are) because at that point Allen's eyes are no longer down field, he's just trying to stay upright. A few of these plays had safety valves, but for the most part they were totally covered and no viable (probably because Houston was getting pressure just rushing 4).

This game was basically Mahomes in the Super Bowl last year, except I think Allen handled the pressure a little better.

[CincyBillsFan]

8 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

So every one would have been grounding you saying ?

I don't know but it seemed to me that most of the sacks took place in the tackle box so yes it would have been grounding.  And don't forget most QB's probably would have been sacked 10 or 12 times tonight as Allen did manage to get out of a couple of tough situations in the way only a few QB's can..

 

 

[steven50]

If you would have told before the season started that at this point in the season we had beaten the chiefs and the ravens and we were in the 6th spot fighting for a wildcard behind New England I would have told you to put the crack pipe down.

 

If the playoffs started today the Chiefs, Ravens, and Bengals wouldn't even be in it.

 

🙄 WTF?

[Aussie Joe]

11 minutes ago, CincyBillsFan said:

I don't know but it seemed to me that most of the sacks took place in the tackle box so yes it would have been grounding.  And don't forget most QB's probably would have been sacked 10 or 12 times tonight as Allen did manage to get out of a couple of tough situations in the way only a few QB's can..

 

 

I’ll have to watch the replay tomorrow … I thought opportunity might have presented itself for the ball to be thrown away to avoid the grounding call on some of those plays …

 

that doesn’t try to absolve the OL who were terrible at times … 

Edited 2 hours ago by Aussie Joe

[Aussie Joe]

1 hour ago, Einstein said:

 

WTF is wrong with this dude ?

 

 

[Buffalo716]

17 minutes ago, Aussie Joe said:

WTF is wrong with this dude ?

 

 

 

Man I've had Dion's back here before he was even a pro bowler 

 

I don't know he probably thought Josh would get rid of the ball by then because it's actually deep in a drop 

 

But that's obviously inexcusable and he's supposed to be a captain

 

He be slapping up guys right after we lost smiling 

 

Listen it is a long season and it is a job and you can't take losses too hard.. but Dion has gone from chippy chip on his shoulder 

 

To I created an NFL award.. I'm on all the ex-nfl players podcasts.. everybody loves me in the league 

 

I still think he's very good.. this is his worst season in a while is false start today on 4th and 1 with the game on the line is f****** inexcusable

Edited 2 hours ago by Buffalo716

[philholbroo]

4 hours ago, MikePJ76 said:

Sean McDermott sounded like a complete sadsack in the postgame show.  A guy with no answers.  

 

 

he looked shell shocked, like he had a plan but then got punched by mike tyson

[philholbroo]

would have been a nice adjustment to see more of hawes out there, wether to stay in blocking or release from line. Doubt its been practiced much but wouldnt mind seeing him in backfield next to josh as blocker in games like this where pass rush is getting through so easily.

[Scott7975]

5 hours ago, RichRiderBills said:

 

 

We weren't committed enough to the run. 

 

Cooks big runs our case in point why we need to stick with it. 

The run was keeping us behind the sticks all game. They are just as quick to kill a drive. Especially when they still try that dumb screen to Shakir a few times a game after said stuffed run. 

Edited 28 minutes ago by Scott7975

[Freak-O]

Missing that extra point really lost us the game. The offensive line being outclassed most of the game didn’t help either, nor the screen passes. I did love the play on 4:th and super long near the end though.