The Buffalo Bills won their third consecutive contest on Sunday, clobbering the Houston Texans 40-0. Since falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, the Bills have outscored their opponents by 97 points.

Buffalo outmatched Houston in every facet of the game. The Texans had only 18 yards on 14 plays in the first quarter, including -6 net passing yards. By halftime, the Texans produced an abysmal -23 net passing yards.

Josh Allen led the way on offense, completing 20-of-29 passes for 248 yards with two TDs and an interception. He rushed six times for 41 yards. Stefon Diggs logged his first 100-yard game of 2021, posting seven grabs for 114 yards.

It wasn’t just Allen and Diggs who impressed on Sunday. Let’s review other players who stepped up as we break down the biggest takeaways from the Bills’40-point shellacking of the visiting Texans in Week 4.

Bills Week 4 takeaways

1. Dawson Knox continues breakout campaign

Bills tight end Dawson Knox collected five receptions—two for touchdowns—for 37 yards. The fourth-year pro is up to four TDs on the year, representing a career high.

Both of Knox’s touchdown grabs came in the red zone. The 6-foot-4, 254-pounder has established himself as a favorite target of Allen’s with the club near the opposing end zone.

2. Bills’ defense is the best in NFL

The Bills were expected to be among the best defensive teams in football in 2021. Four games into the season, and it’s clear the squad has lived up to expectations and then some. They have already shut out two teams this year, tying a franchise record for shutouts in one season. The Bills crushed the Miami Dolphins 35-0 in Week 2, meaning they produced a 75-0 margin of victory in their two shutouts.

Buffalo’s defense accumulated five turnovers—four interceptions of Texans rookie QB Davis Mills—in another dominant outing. Jaquan Johnson, Tyler Matakevich, Micah Hyde and Tremaine Edmunds had one pick apiece.

The Texans averaged only 2.6 yards per play on Sunday. They ran only seven plays inside the Bills’ end of the field. Buffalo sacked Mills three times.

Through four contests, the Bills rank first in points allowed (11.0 per game), total defense (216.8 yards per game) and passing defense (148.8 yards per contest). They also have registered the most takeaways (11) in the league.

It’s hard to argue against the Bills currently possessing the NFL’s best defense.

3. Buffalo’s running attack shows improvement

One of the few perceived weakness of the Bills entering 2021 was their lack of a strong run game. Even with the mobile Josh Allen under center, they ranked 20th in rushing with 107.7 yards per contest last season. This year, the Bills have vaulted to fifth in the league in rushing, thanks in part to Sunday’s strong ground performance.

Halfback Devin Singletary turned 14 carries into a game-high 79 yards, while teammate Zack Moss had 14 carries of his own for 61 yards and a touchdown. The Bills totaled a whopping 199 rushing yards versus the Texans.

The Bills’ offense is among the league’s premier units due in large part to the dominant dual-threat ability of Allen. If Buffalo’s running back duo of Singletary and Moss can continue to gain ample yardage, it would make the this elite offense even more dangerous.