The Texans and Davis Mills look to grow as a team, while the Bills look to continue their red-hot scoring streak in this Texans-Bills preview.
While the NFL has had some unpredictable moments so far: 1-2 Chiefs, 3-0 Raiders, and more. This Week 4 matchup between one of the worst and best in the NFL should go as planned.
Davis Mills Growth
This game, and all others going forward, should be about answering one question for the Texan: can Davis Mills succeed as an NFL starting QB?
Davis Mills is the third Stanford QB to be drafted in the top 70 picks of the NFL. The other two being Andrew Luck (1st overall in 2012) and John Elway (1st overall in 1983). No one is expecting Mills to be Luck or Elway, but he has shown flashes of being top-tier.
Mills will be facing a Bills defense that ranks 4th in passing yards allowed this season and 7th in rushing. This should be a tough game for the Texans to get moving, for anything good to happen Mills will have to shine. Though, being shut down does not mean Mills is a bust.
Which Texans Defense Will Show Up?
In the Texans’ first preview of the season, we mentioned young and new talent needing to make a difference this season. Outside of the first six quarters of NFL play the Texans’ defense has been miserable.
The same is to be said for this Texans-Bills preview. If the Texans can get back to playing fast, aggressive, and scrappy defense similar to the first half against the Browns in week 2, then they might be able to keep this game below the projected +17 line the game has. If not, expect a long game where any offensive player on the Bills looks like a Pro-Bowl candidate.
Devin Singletary or Zack Moss?
After being a healthy scratch in week one against the Steelers, Moss has come on strong for the Bills. In the two games that Moss has played in, he trails Singletary by only three carries and has had more targets in that span. However, Singletary has outgained Moss on the ground 108-86 in those two games.
Having two solid running backs is rarely viewed as an issue in the NFL outside of fantasy reasons. Yet, for the Bills, the issue is less about predictability and more about productivity. Even during last season, the Bills were having to choose between the rookie Moss and Singletary to try and find the hot hand.
Both backs should be able to have a good game against a poor Texans’ defense. And, if one comes out with more productivity than the other expect that back to potentially get the nod to start in week 5.
Can Josh Allen Keep The Passing Game Rolling?
The Bills’ offense has had no issue scoring over the past two weeks. Josh Allen and his plethora of targets have been explosive and consistent since an embarrassing performance in week 1. But will this last forever?
It may not last forever, but it should last through this week. At best, the Texans are a middle-of-the-pack passing defense. Yet, the Texans have faced a rookie QB in Trevor Lawrence, a run-heavy offense in the Browns, and a surprisingly good Panthers team.
None of those offenses boast the explosiveness or the passing ability of Josh Allen. Expect Allen to have a field day with the Texans’ secondary and score at will.
Final score prediction: Texans 14 – Bills 31
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