Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins admitted that he expected to lose sleep over his performance on Thursday after the Houston Texans sacked Josh Allen eight times
13:05 ET, 21 Nov 2025Updated 13:05 ET, 21 Nov 2025
Dion Dawkins jogs onto the field
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Dion Dawkins admitted that watching Josh Allen get sacked repeatedly was a tough pill to swallow(Image: Getty Images)
Buffalo Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins conceded that he likely wouldn’t get a wink of shut-eye after failing to protect quarterback Josh Allen against the Houston Texans.
On Thursday, Houston’s formidable defense tormented Allen throughout all four quarters of an upset 23-19 win over the Bills. Once the final whistle blew, the star quarterback had been sacked a career-high eight times while absorbing an additional 12 hits.
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Despite Allen's selfless efforts to accept responsibility for Buffalo's disappointing offensive showing, countless fans instead directed their criticism toward the Bills' offensive line — especially Dawkins. Speaking to reporters following the contest, the offensive lineman admitted that it was extremely "tough" witnessing his signal-caller suffer the punishment he endured.
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"It's a tough night," he said. "Probably won't be able to sleep. When I see the kid get hit and he rolls around on the ground, it's a tough day for the boys.
“That's like our little and big brother. It sucks, man. I hate losing. We're a good team, though. I think that our best days [are] yet to come.”
Dawkins' performance during 'Thursday Night Football' was littered with mistakes, but none proved more damaging than a false start violation on fourth-and-one with under 30 seconds left in the final quarter.
On the following snap, Allen's throw intended for wide receiver Joshua Palmer was picked off by Texans safety Calen Bullock to clinch the victory. “I got to be better,” Dawkins said of the infraction.
Josh Allen gets sacked by a Houston Texans defender
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Josh Allen was sacked a career-high eight times by the Houston Texans(Image: Getty Images)
“It happens time after time, you know. It's hard. It's hard to play offensive line. It's hard to be at your best at all times.
“Stadiums like this, it's loud, you know. There's no excuse. I got to be better. I pride myself on being the best. It is what it is. It's tough ball, man, but better days to come. It kind of feels like it's the last game of the year, but it's not.”
As Dawkins noted, however, all hope is not lost for Buffalo. Despite Thursday’s loss, the Bills (7-4) still remain firmly in the playoff picture as the No. 6 seed in the AFC while boasting an 86% postseason probability.
In particular, Dawkins shed light on how close the Bills were to staging a comeback victory despite not playing well for much of the contest.
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On Buffalo’s final offensive drive, wide receiver Gabe Davis caught a deep pass with one hand in the red zone but failed to get both feet in bounds. “You know, it goes without saying, right? It's a game of inches,” Dawkins noted.
“At the end of the game, Gabe [Davis] caught a beautiful pass. If his feet were just a couple more inches the other way, the energy would be a little bit different.
“Even though those guys got to our quarterback, the energy would just be a little bit different. So it's a game of inches. You would think that it was a full game whooping, but it's just football, man. Thursday night ball. Good on good. I respect those guys.”