Are the Buffalo Bills in trouble? What was once a firm grasp on the AFC East has slowly started to loosen over the last few weeks. The dam finally broke in Week 12, as Buffalo was unable to crack the impenetrable defense of the Houston Texans. The 19-24 loss to the Texans has put the Bills two and a half games behind the New England Patriots for the AFC East crown.
What makes the loss worse for the Bills is that they were gifted multiple chances to win the game. In the final drive of the game, Buffalo found themselves down by five points. A touchdown would give them the win on the spot. They overcame the odds, including a magical 4th-and-27 conversion to breathe life into their team.
However, things went awry after that. Finding themselves in a 4th-and-1 from the Texans' 17-yard line, the Bills had the perfect chance to keep their chances alive. However, left tackle Dion Dawkins got a bit jumpy and kick-stepped a second too early. The Bills were called for a false start, turning what would have been a simple situation into a complex one. Josh Allen got pressured in the following play and threw the game-ending pick.
After the game, Dawkins took accountability for the false start.
“I got to be better, for sure,” Dawkins said, per Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN. “This happens time after time. It's hard. It's hard to play offensive line. It's hard to be at your best at all times. Stadiums like this, it's loud. There's no excuse. I got to be better at times like that. I pride myself on being the best.”
The Bills' offensive line was put in a blender all game long. Allen was sacked eight times during the loss, getting pressured on most of his throws. One of the sacks might have led to an injury as well, as one of Will Anderson Jr's sacks had Allen clutching his arm. The QB would later admit that he wasn't feeling anything on his arm after that hit.
The Bills' defense did their best to slow down the Texans, but in the end, Davis Mills was able to lead the Texans to a win. Buffalo will now look for answers as they enter a mini-bye of sorts before Week 13.
