The Bills attempted sparking the run game early, and their first drive of the night was promising.
On third-and-inches after an incomplete pass to wide receiver Joshua Palmer, running back James Cook III received help from fullback Reggie Gilliam throwing up a block on linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair. With the extra space available, Cook slipped through and was off to the races, veering right into the corner of the end zone.
This was Cook's third rushing score of more than 40 yards in 2025. The 45-yard rushing touchdown also pushed the running back over 1,000 yards on the ground in 2025. He became the fastest Bills player to do so since 1991.
Place kicker Matt Prater missed the extra point on Buffalo's opening touchdown drive. This one point became a difference maker between a tied game at 10-10 in the second quarter, and the Bills just barely trailing after Mills connected with a wide-open Kirk in the end zone for a touchdown.
Houston proved why they're number one in the country right out of the gate in the second half.
Allen was sacked on back-to-back Buffalo drives. On third-and-six on the opening drive of the third quarter, Allen couldn't do anything except escape Texan defenders on his heels. After defensive end Will Anderson Jr. extended out to try and sack Allen, he wasn't out of the play entirely. He immediately popped back up and hunted Allen down. Running around the offensive backfield, a sack was inevitable and the Bills lost 18 yards on the play.
When getting the ball back after Buffalo's defense also forced a punt, Allen was faced with another third-and-six scenario. This time around, it was defensive end Danielle Hunter taking down Allen for a loss of five.
Allen was sacked a total of eight times on Thursday.
The last time the Texans' defense met Allen was before Davis' kick return touchdown. On the first snap of that drive, Allen looked for wide receiver Elijah Moore. Following Allen's eyes and movements, Al-Shaair got his hands up in time to deflect the ball. Safety Calen Bullock finished off the play for Houston, catching the tipped ball and running it all the way into the end zone for a pick six.
An illegal blindside block called the touchdown back, allowing Buffalo's defense an opportunity to hold the Texans to the least amount of points possible. Houston settled for a field goal instead.
Even with linebacker Terrel Bernard (elbow) and cornerback Maxwell Hairston (concussion) sustaining injuries in the third quarter, the Bills' defense continued putting up stops when Allen and his offense navigated how to overcome the Texans' defense.
Buffalo's defense forced Houston to punt, keeping its team only at the four-point deficit from the end of the first half. After wide receiver Khalil Shakir fumbled a completion from Allen, turning the ball over and putting the Texans back in control, the Bills kept it a one possession game.
On second-and-10, Mills and the offense couldn't get a feel for the defense coming at them, ultimately causing them to draw a delay of game penalty. Now at second-and-15, the pressure piled up and Mills couldn't connect with Collins. Though Kirk caught his pass on the following play, cornerback Taron Johnson and Bishop stopped him seven yards short of the first down.
Fairbairn's field goal attempt was good, but the Bills were still a seven-point drive away from tying it up. They eventually cut that back down to four with a field goal late in the fourth quarter after both teams went back-and-forth punting the ball.
On their last possession of the game, deep in Houston territory, they were forced to go for the full six. Allen's pass to Palmer on fourth-and-six was too short. Bullock got down low for the interception and ended the game on the Texans' defense's terms.