MVP Allen has a torrid time as Texans beat Bills

2025 NFL Season: Week 12

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The Houston Texans defense gave Josh Allen a tough time as they earned a 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills.

The Texans sacked last season’s MVP eight times — the most the Bills quarterback has endured in a single game — and claimed two interceptions.

Both were from Houston safety Calen Bullock, who also forced a fumble, his second interception at the death securing the hosts the victory after leading 20-16 at halftime.

Former Super Bowl favorite Buffalo has a record of seven wins and four losses, having lost four of its last seven games, while Houston is now 6-5.

Although their starting quarterback CJ Stroud missed a fourth game with a concussion, backup Davis Mills led the Texans to a third straight victory, giving them a winning record for the first time this season.

Bills running back James Cook had a game-high 116 yards rushing, opening the scoring with a 45-yard touchdown run.

The two teams traded field goals before Mills found Christian Kirk for a two-yard touchdown, and Bullock intercepted Allen with the Texans’ Ka’imi Fairbairn kicking another field goal on the resulting possession.

Ray Davis returned the kickoff for a 97-yard touchdown to help the Bills take a 16-13 lead, but the Texans struck right back with Mills completing an eight-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Higgins five seconds before the end of the first half.

Bullock knocked the ball out of Khalil Shakir’s reach and the Texans got it back, with Fairbairn scoring a third field goal late in the third quarter.

And although the Bills cut the deficit with a field goal and put themselves in position to score a game-winning touchdown with 24 seconds left, Allen was picked off by Bullock for his ninth interception of the season and fifth in three games.

Houston finished with 12 quarterback hits and Allen faces an in-form Pittsburgh Steelers defense next week.

“I don’t like that stat at all,” Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott said. “This is not a good way to keep our quarterback healthy for the rest of the season. We need to play better.”