Vikings vs Jets score and NFL Week 5 updates: Highlights, schedule, inactives, predictions, odds and analysis
By Zak Keefer, Tim Graham, Joe Buscaglia and Tobias Bass
Revenge is a dish best served cold, as receiver Stefon Diggs and the Houston Texans did just that on Sunday in a 23-20 victory over the Buffalo Bills at NRG Stadium at the buzzer on a 59-yard kick from Ka’imi Fairbairn. This was Fairbairn’s eighth career game-winning field goal.
Diggs, who was traded from Buffalo to Houston this offseason after spending his last four seasons with the franchise caught six passes for 82 yards and had to take on a bigger role after Nico Collins went down with a hamstring injury with 1:43 left in the first quarter. Collins caught both of his targets for 78 yards, including a 67-yard touchdown in which he limped as he jogged into the end zone.
Houston moves to 4-1, their second-best five-game start in franchise history.
Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud has now thrown for 300 yards or more in back-to-back games and on Sunday he did so by completing 28 of 38 passes for one touchdown and one interception.
There was a scary sight in the fourth quarter when Josh Allen rolled out to extend a play but was tackled low by Mario Edwards Jr. and his head slammed against the turf. He immediately went to the blue tent but was able to return to the game after only missing one snap. Allen was 9 of 30 for 131 yards passing and one touchdown.
Buffalo hasn’t beaten the Texans in Houston since Nov. 19, 2006, but will look get back on track versus the New York Jets on “Sunday Night Football”. As for the Texans, they will travel to Foxborough to take on the New England Patriots and the Bills
Flashy uniforms. Furious finish.
Last week, C.J. Stroud took the Texans nine plays in 64 yards and 2:36, hitting Dare Ogunbowale for a 1-yard touchdown to beat the Jaguars late in the fourth. This time, Stroud can thank Sean McDermott and the Bills’ curious decision-making for giving him and the Houston offense all it needed to squeak out a stunning, last-second victory.
With seven seconds left, Stroud hit Ogunbowale for a gain of five to the Buffalo 41, which was just enough for Ka’imi Fairbairn to drill a 57-yard game-winner.
The Bills’ bone-headed choice late to throw three straight times instead of playing for overtime is the story from this one, but from the Texans’ perspective, Houston is now 4-1 and in firm control in the AFC South. A loss would have been tough to swallow, especially after racing to a 20-3 lead early in the third quarter. This was an escape, aided by the Bills’ late-game gaffe. — Zak Keefer, NFL Enterprise writer
Buffalo’s offense struggles
Buffalo’s offense was incompetent in the first half. Josh Allen entered the second quarter with one completion on nine attempts, the worst beginning of his career. His last two passes before halftime were dropped by Houston linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. The first dropped pick could have been a Bills’ touchdown, but Allen underthrew wide-open tight end Dalton Kincaid. Mack Hollins, struggling to click in the offense, was the lone Bills receiver with a catch at halftime. Something happened at halftime, albeit not enough.
Seemingly counterintuitive, the Bills decided to make up a 20-3 deficit on the ground with an extra lineman. Running back James Cook got traction, including a 5-yard TD with 8:48 left in the third quarter. Bills rookie Keon Coleman became just their second wideout with a catch, turning a fourth-and-5 hitch into a 49-yard touchdown with 4:20 remaining in the third quarter.
With the help of a couple C.J. Stroud giveaways sandwiched around a boneheaded decision by Houston punt returner Robert Woods to field it at his 2-yard line, Buffalo eventually tied the game – an unfathomable scenario at the intermission – on a 33-yard Tyler Bass field goal with 3:18 to go.
Stroud helped out Buffalo again with an utterly unnecessary intentional grounding that turned a Ka’imi Fairbairn 57-yard field goal attempt into a punt with 41 seconds left, but the offense went three-and-out before his fateful 59-yarder. — Tim Graham, Bills beat writer
Bills start slow
The Bills could not have begun the game worse defensively. They allowed five straight plays of ten-plus yards — including a one-play drive of a 67-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Nico Collins that split open the defense. They looked rudderless and lost at sea, surrendering two straight touchdowns with a potential blowout on deck. But once the Bills went to the second half, the defense settled in. They were still allowing some chunk plays, but on a crucial second-quarter drive, forced the Texans offense off the field on a 4th-and-1 in scoring territory.
They continued their bend-but-don’t-break offense, mixed in with two turnovers, and limited the Texans to only nine points the rest of the way. With the Bills offense flailing, the banged-up Bills defense somehow kept the team afloat in what could have been a come-from-behind victory. — Joe Buscaglia, Bills beat writer
Required reading
- Bills face Stefon Diggs in first game since Texans trade: ‘He could suck the energy out of any room’
- Quarterback collectability power rankings: Can Jayden Daniels challenge Brady, Mahomes, Stroud?
- Green Bay, Buffalo voted worst NFL road trips; Los Angeles is best, player poll says
(Photo: Tim Warner / Getty Images)
