Good morning, I’m Dan Gartland. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that 40-year-old Alex Ovechkin scored a hat trick. That makes him the sixth-oldest player in NHL history to find the back of the net three times in a game.
In today’s SI:AM:
🦬 Bills fall flat
💪 Texans’ impressive defense
🏆 Indiana’s Heisman candidate
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The Texans’ defense is for real
Josh Allen could probably paint a detailed picture of the roof at Houston’s NRG Stadium. After all, he spent most of Thursday night lying on his back after getting dragged to the ground by the Texans’ defense.
Allen was sacked a career-high eight times in Buffalo’s 23–19 loss to Houston. Three of those sacks came on third down, and the Bills lost a total of 70 yards to sacks.
“They had 12 hits on Josh, eight sacks. That’s not a healthy formula right there,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “It’s not a healthy way to play or a healthy way to keep our quarterback healthy through the remainder of the season.”
Will Anderson led the way for Houston with 2.5 sacks. Danielle Hunter had two, while Derek Barnett, Tim Settle Jr. and Henry To'oTo'o were each credited with one. Mario Edwards was credited with a half sack. On one of the few occasions Allen did have time to throw, he threw a pass that was tipped by Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair and intercepted by Calen Bullock. (Bullock’s touchdown return was negated by a blindside block penalty, and the Texans would score only a field goal on the ensuing possession.)
Allen was running for his life. He only gained 20 yards rushing on five attempts, but he covered a total distance of 882.2 yards during the game, mostly running frantically behind the line of scrimmage trying to find himself enough space to get a pass away. That was the third-most distance covered by any Bills offensive player, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, behind only Dawson Knox (1184.9 yards) and Khalil Shakir (960 yards).
Anderson, the third pick in the 2023 draft out of Alabama, was a force to be reckoned with all night long. If he wasn’t wrapping his arms around Allen, he was meeting Bills ballcarriers in the backfield. In addition to his 2.5 sacks, Anderson also had two tackles for loss. Hunter, Settle and Kamari Lassiter also had two TFLs apiece. Even more impressive, Anderson had a team-high nine quarterback pressures.
The Texans’ ferocious defense prevented the Bills’ offense from getting in any sort of rhythm. A 45-yard touchdown run by James Cook on the team’s first possession of the game was the only offensive touchdown Buffalo scored all night. The Bills’ other points came on a 97-yard kickoff return by Ray Davis and two Matt Prater field goals.
“Yeah, it’s not fun,” Allen said of playing against the Texans’ pass rush. “I ran into a couple myself. I got to be better throwing the ball away and living to see another down. And letting us play some situational football and pinning them deep. Too many times I was going backwards. I’ve got to be better on that.”
The sacks were the headline issue, but McDermott traced the problem back to the Bills’ struggles on early downs. Too often, Buffalo found itself in third-and-long situations where the Texans were able to pin their ears back and get after Allen without having to worry about the run.
“That’s where the hits come, second down and long turns into third down and long, and that’s the unhealthy formula I’m talking about, and Josh takes too many hits. So we’ve got to figure that piece out,” McDermott said.
It’s been a disappointing season for the Bills, who, after finishing last season 13–4, are now 7–4 this year. Buffalo had high hopes after reaching the conference title game last season but has suffered some concerning losses this year, including a 30–13 blowout at the hands of the Dolphins and a 24–14 defeat against the Falcons. Allen remains a game-changing player, but he’s thrown nine interceptions already this season—up from six last year. That’s tied for the fourth-most in the NFL. As a result, the Bills have gone from leading the league in turnover margin in 2024 to ranking 17th this season.
The combination of the Bills’ underwhelming results and the Patriots’ impressive 9–2 start has Buffalo locked in a tighter-than-expected playoff race. The Bills are currently tied with the Chargers for the top wild-card spot (Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker) but have the Texans (6–5), Ravens (5–5) and Chiefs (5–5) close behind. If the Bills are going to finish the season strong and give themselves a chance to make another deep playoff run, they’re going to have to start by keeping Allen upright.
The best of Sports Illustrated
- How one tiny body part causes massive problems: Greg Bishop unpacks the 50-year history of turf toe—and why it hurts far more than its cute name suggests.
- The Texans sacked Josh Allen eight times in their Thursday night upset of the Bills, showing they’re built for a playoff push regardless of who’s under center, Gilberto Manzano writes.
- This was supposed to be the Bills’ year, but after Thursday night’s loss to the Texans, Buffalo doesn’t look like a team ready to make a championship run, Matt Verderame explains.
- Quarterback Fernando Mendoza has lifted Indiana football to heights once thought impossible. Pat Forde spent time with the Heisman contender to tell the story of the ultimate underdog who embodies the American Dream.
- Shedeur Sanders’s first start will spotlight the Browns’ unconventional, decade-long quest to land a franchise QB, Conor Orr writes.
- With the World Cup draw in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 5 fast approaching, SI Soccer ran a mock draw to see which group the USMNT might land in.
- Get ready for the MLS Cup playoff conference semifinals this weekend with SI’s full preview, which breaks down every matchup.
- Ahead of Saturday’s NWSL championship, Jenna Tonelli spoke with Spirit defenders Kate Wiesner and Paige Metayer about Washington’s quest for redemption and the mindset behind “the job’s not done.”
The top five…
… things I saw last night:
5. Bucks big man Myles Turner’s antler celebration after hitting a three.
4. Jadin Bonham’s goal for Ohio State to give the Buckeyes a sudden-death win over No. 2 Notre Dame in double overtime in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament.
3. A pair of wild saves by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy to set up Tampa Bay’s game-winning goal against the Oilers.
2. Ray Davis’s spin move on his 97-yard kickoff return.
1. Jordan Marsh’s preposterous buzzer beater for USC in triple overtime against Troy.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as SI:AM | The Bills’ Offensive Line Hung Josh Allen Out to Dry.
