It was clear to anyone with the gift of sight that the Buffalo Bills got bullied during a Week 12 loss to the Houston Texans.
Well, anybody except for Dion Dawkins.
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Dion Dawkins denies Texans were more physical team: “It’s a game of inches. At the end of the game, Gabe caught a beautiful pass. His feet were just a few inches the other way… (It could’ve) been different.”
This after Bills got bullied on offensive side of the ball vs. Texans pic.twitter.com/NWmCezn20d
— alex brasky (@alexbrasky) November 21, 2025
The starting left tackle was asked after the Bills’ dismal defeat at the hands of the Texans whether or not he felt Houston was the more physical team. And rather than simply admit the truth, Dawkins, as he typically does following Bills losses, deflected.
“No, because it goes without saying, right — it’s a game of inches,” he said. “At the end of the game, (wide receiver Gabe Davis) caught a beautiful pass. If his feet were just a couple more inches the other way, the energy would’ve been a little bit different.”
The play in which Dawkins is referring to was quarterback Josh Allen’s only deep ball of the night, which came on the Bills’ final drive. On first-and-10 from the Houston 26-yard line with 41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Allen uncorked a long pass for Davis down the right sideline, which the Bills' wide receiver hauled in, but without two feet in bounds. After the play was ruled incomplete, three plays later, Buffalo’s drive ended in a game-sealing interception.
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Dion Dawkins
Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. (98) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the second half at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Dawkins' point rings true in a sense. If Davis came down with a critical catch inside the 10-yard line, things could have been much different.
With that said, if Davis completed the reception, that would not have erased the fact that Buffalo got absolutely manhandled at the line of scrimmage. And that Houston’s annihilation of the Bills up front was the primary reason for an ineffective day from the offense as a whole.
The Texans recorded 28 quarterback pressures against the Bills on Thursday, per Pro Football Focus, while sacking Allen a career-high eight times. Allen was sacked on 53.3% of his pressured dropbacks, per NFL Pro, the highest pressure-to-sack rate of his career (minimum five pressured dropbacks).
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Josh Allen
Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans defensive tackle Tim Settle Jr. (98) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the second half at NRG Stadium. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
“You would think it was a full-game butt whooping, but it’s just football, man,” added the Bills left tackle, who fancies himself a philosopher.
Head Coach Sean McDermott seemed to see things differently during his time at the podium postgame.
"Well, when they hit the quarterback 12 times, I don't like that, I don't like that stat at all," said McDermott when asked if the Texans were the more physical team. "That's not a healthy way to play or a healthy way to keep our quarterback healthy throughout the remainder of the season. Just not a good formula right there."
The Bills were lucky Allen wasn’t killed on Thursday night, and he nearly was, as he went down before writhing in pain early on during the primetime matchup. Later, he was again seen in visible discomfort after taking a sack, appearing to clutch his wrist area.
But it’s just football, man.
Dawkins wasn’t the primary concern along the Bills’ O-line on Thursday. That was Spencer Brown, who allowed six pressures to Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. before the Bills' right tackle exited the game before Buffalo's final drive due to an arm injury.
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Josh Allen
Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans linebacker Henry To'oTo'o (39) sacks Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) in the second half at NRG Stadium. / Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Still, one issue that has continuously plagued Dawkins throughout the season continued to crop up against Houston — penalties. Dawkins committed a critical false start on Buffalo’s final possession, turning a fourth-and-1 into a fourth-and-6 before Allen fired his second of two interceptions to effectively end the game.
“I got to be better,” said Dawkins, who leads the Bills in penalties this season with nine, five more than any other player.
He added, "It’s hard to play offensive line. It’s hard to be at your best at all times. Stadiums like this, it’s loud. But that’s no excuse. I’ve got to be better.”
Accountability. What a concept.
The Bills’ offensive line has been a great strength over the past few seasons. But on Thursday night, it was a significant weakness, and it should hold itself accountable for what was an extremely worrisome performance.
Dawkins is beloved by the fan base, and for good reason. His work in the community has made an incredible impact, and his interaction with those who love the Bills is second to none.
But when it comes to responding to questions following Bills defeats, Dawkins misses the mark far too often, with the latest example being after Buffalo’s Week 12 defeat. He should consider changing his approach moving forward, because responses like the one he gave regarding his team's failure to match the Texans' physicality came off as incredibly hollow.
When you get beat, you get beat. And there's no shame in admitting that.
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