With C.J. Stroud out another game, the Houston Texans once again turned to Davis Mills against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night.
Mills filled in for Stroud in the two prior games, leading Houston to a 2-0 record without its star quarterback. While Stroud is the clear-cut franchise quarterback, Mills has provided Houston a reliable option ever since he entered the league in 2021.
In the first half on Thursday night, Mills showed the nation why the Texans trust him so much, as he out-played Josh Allen over the first 30 minutes. Here's a look at how Mills performed against Buffalo.
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Davis Mills stats vs. Bills
Here's a look at how Mills performed in the first half against the Bills.
Completions/Attempts: 11/22
Passing yards: 122
Touchdowns: 2
Interceptions: 0
Passer rating: 101.7
Mills totaled two touchdowns in the first two quarters against Buffalo, out-dueling Josh Allen for the time period. While Mills completed just 50 percent of his passes, his completions were effective as he helped the Texans take a 20-16 lead into halftime.
C. Kirk makin' moves ‼️
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— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 21, 2025
Straight heat 🔥
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— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) November 21, 2025
MORE: Why fans noticed Davis Mills' neclk amid starting stretch
Where did Davis Mills go to college?
Davis Mills attended Stanford from 2017 to 2020, playing in 14 games for the Cardinal over the final three seasons. After his senior season in 2020, Mills entered the NFL draft, where the Texans took him in the third round.
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Davis Mills college stats
Year Games Completion percentage Passing yards Passing touchdowns Interceptions Passer rating
2018 1 0% 0 0 0 0.0
2019 8 65.6% 1,960 11 5 144.8
2020 5 66.2 1,508 7 3 139.9
While Mills attended Stanford from 2017 to 2020, he redshirted his first season and appeared in just one game in his second. However, in 2019 and 2020, Mills was Stanford's primary starter and played in a combined 13 games, producing 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions.