Josh Allen was repeatedly barraged in a bruising Thursday Night Football matchup, sacked a career-high eight times in a 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans. The defeat was a tough setback for the Bills, now 7-4 this season, amidst growing concerns about offensive line struggles and Allen’s ability to evade a dominant Texans defense.
Allen finished 24 of 34 for 253 yards but threw two interceptions and did not record a touchdown-only the second time this season he has been unable to throw a scoring pass. Despite the punishing hits and sack total, Allen maintained that he was “fine” physically, but acknowledged that the team’s execution fell short. “We must execute better, and we didn’t accomplish that tonight,” he said after the game.
The Houston defense, led by Will Anderson Jr.’s 2.5 sacks and Danielle Hunter’s two, was relentless throughout, recording eight in total-tied for a Texans franchise record for sacks against one quarterback in a single game. The Texans totaled 15 pressures of Allen and hit him 12 times, making life difficult on the Bills offense for much of the night. Safety Calen Bullock made huge plays with two interceptions, the latter of which sealed the win for the Texans late in the game.
The Bills mounted a late comeback, highlighted by a very imaginative hook-and-ladder play that converted a fourth-and-27, but penalties and the stingy Texans’ defense ultimately quelled their rally. On the final drive, Allen was sacked twice, including on an interception that occurred on a vital fourth-and-six from Houston’s 22-yard line.
