Buffalo (3-1) at Houston (3-1)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EDT, CBS
BetMGM NFL Odds: Texans by 1.
Against the spread: Buffalo 2-2; Houston 0-3-1.
Series record: Texans lead 6-5.
Last meeting: Bills beat Texans 40-0 on Oct. 3, 2021, in Buffalo.
Last week: Bills lost to Ravens 35-10; Texans beat Jaguars 24-20.
Bills offense: overall (20), rush (17), pass (20), scoring (2).
Bills defense: overall (14), rush (30), pass (6), scoring (12).
Texans offense: overall (8), rush (19), pass (3), scoring (17).
Texans defense: overall (5), rush (13), pass (4), scoring (22).
Turnover differential: Bills plus-5, Texans minus-1.
Bills player to watch
DE A.J. Epenesa. With Von Miller to miss the next four games serving an NFL suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, the focus falls on the fifth-year player. Epenesa has one sack in four starts and will have an even more expanded role minus the 35-year-old Miller, who was used mostly in passing situations. Miller is the NFL’s active leader in sacks with 126 1/2, including three this season.
Texans player to watch
WR Nico Collins. The fourth-year pro had a career-high 12 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown against the Jaguars last week. He leads the NFL with 489 yards receiving and is the first player in franchise history with more than 450 yards receiving though the first four games. Sunday was the eighth career 100-yard game for Collins and his third this season.
Key matchup
Houston WR Stefon Diggs will face his former team for the first time since a blockbuster trade brought him to the Texans. The four-time Pro Bowler is second on the team with 25 receptions for 233 yards. He has two receiving touchdowns and had the first rushing score of his career against the Jaguars. He spent the past four seasons in Buffalo where he had more than 1,100 yards receiving each year, highlighted by an NFL-leading and career-high 1,535 yards in 2020.
Key injuries
Bills starting LB Terrel Bernard has resumed practicing and has a chance to return after missing two games with a pectoral injury. … CB Taron Johnson is nearing his return, but is questionable to play since breaking his right forearm in Week 1. … Starting S Taylor Rapp’s status is uncertain after being placed in the concussion protocol. … WR Khalil Shakir’s status is being monitoring after he hurt his right ankle on Sunday night. Same for starting left tackle Dion Dawkins, who is nursing a hamstring injury. … Houston WR Tank Dell is expected to return after sitting out last week with hand and chest injuries. … RB Joe Mixon missed practice this week with an ankle injury and could be out for a third consecutive game. … LT Laremy Tunsil injured his ankle last week and could miss the game after sitting out of practice.
Series notes
The Bills won the most recent game in the series but Houston took the previous two games, including an overtime victory in a wild-card playoff game in the 2019 season. … These teams first met in Houston’s inaugural season in 2002 when Buffalo got a 31-24 win. … Houston’s first win in the series came in a 12-10 victory in 2003.
Stats and stuff
The Bills’ loss to Baltimore ended an NFL-record streak of 43 straight games in which Buffalo had not lost by more than six points. The run began a week following a 41-15 loss to Indianapolis on Nov. 21, 2021. … Buffalo’s 10 points against Baltimore was the team’s fewest since a 14-10 loss to New England on Dec. 6, 2021. … Josh Allen had lost two fumbles this season but is enjoying a career-best four-game run without throwing an interception, a year after he was picked off a career-high 18 times. … Allen, last weekend, failed to score a touchdown (passing, rushing or receiving) for just the fourth time in an outing he starts and finishes, including playoffs. … Buffalo’s 12 first downs against Baltimore matched the team’s fewest since a 20-13 loss at Houston on Oct. 14, 2018. … RB James Cook has topped 85-plus yards from scrimmage in three of four games and leads the team with four TDs (three rushing, one receiving). … With 81 yards rushing against the Ravens, Buffalo has lost six straight and is 1-10 since the start of the 2021 season when failing to reach 100 yards. … Baltimore’s 271 yards rushing were the most allowed by the Bills since a 24-12 loss to New England on Dec. 24, 2018, and third most since Sean McDermott took over as coach in 2017. … The Texans lead the NFL with 40 penalties. … QB C.J. Stroud threw for a season-high 345 yards with two touchdowns last week. He has 10 TD passes and no interceptions in his past six home starts, including the playoffs. …. RB Joe Mixon has scored a touchdown in each of his four games against Buffalo, including the playoffs. … RB Cam Akers led the team with a season-high 53 yards rushing last week. … RB Dare Ogunbowale scored the game-winning touchdown on a 1-yard reception with 18 seconds left last week for his first score since 2022. … DE Danielle Hunter has a tackle for loss in two of his past three games. He has a sack in both of his games against the Bills. … DE Will Anderson has 5½ sacks combined in his past four home games. … LB Henry To’oTo’o has had at least five tackles in each of the first four games this season. … S Eric Murray had his first sack of the season last week.
Fantasy tip
Collins has been Stroud’s favorite option this season and should continue to get plenty of chances this week. He has at least 80 yards receiving in six straight games going back to last season, which is the NFL’s longest active streak.
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