The Buffalo Bills picked up their fourth loss of the season in a disastrous 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football.
Buffalo’s offense had no answers for the Texans’ swarming defense, which led to Josh Allen being sacked eight times while taking 12 hits. Defensively, the Bills settled in nicely in the second half to shut down the Davis Mills-led offense, but the touchdown they allowed late in the first half was the difference-maker in the game.
Now at 7-4, Buffalo’s path to the playoffs seems to be via a Wild Card spot, minus a collapse by the New England Patriots. They can solidify their chances of taking one of those spots on Sunday when they go on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, currently the AFC’s top team outside of the playoffs.
Heading into that matchup, here is where the Bills currently find themselves on various NFL power rankings.
ESPN: No. 10 (Down 4)
Thanksgiving game memory: Quarterback Josh Allen‘s breakout game in 2019
The Bills’ 26-15 win over the Cowboys is often considered the game that introduced the nation to Allen. It was the team’s first Thanksgiving appearance since 1994. Allen went 19-of-24 for 231 yards and one passing touchdown; he rushed for 43 yards and one touchdown on 10 carries. The team’s success led to Thanksgiving appearances again in 2021 and 2022. There have been other good performances on the holiday, including OJ Simpson’s record performance in 1976, but nothing was bigger than cementing Allen’s place as the franchise QB the Bills were long searching for.
Sports Illustrated: No. 7 (Down 2)
Of all the juggernauts who started slow this season, the Bills are the most perplexing because, unlike Kansas City, Houston and Baltimore, their schedule was fairly manageable. The Bills have played down to bad opponents, have looked gobsmacked more often than other AFC heavyweights and now feel solely dependent on the magical performance of a star quarterback. I’ve seen worse game plans succeed, but I’m starving for some consistency.
USA Today: No. 12 (Down 6)
QB Josh Allen has been sacked 17 times over his past four starts on the road. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Mr. MVP.
Pro Football Talk: No. 10 (Down 2)
A sixth straight division title is slipping away.
Yahoo: No. 11 (Down 3)
The Bills are 3-4 since September. They probably don’t deserve to be ranked this high, but Josh Allen gives them a bit of a benefit of the doubt. Buffalo is a very flawed team. General manager Brandon Beane lectures about trading for talent, but the truth is, his roster is too shorthanded to be a Super Bowl contender.
Bleacher Report: No. 8 (Down 2)
The Buffalo Bills were expected to be among the AFC’s best teams in 2025 and a legitimate Super Bowl contender. And at 7-4, they are on track to make the playoffs. The season hasn’t gone according to plan, though.
Josh Allen had an outing against the Houston Texans he’d rather forget—the NFL MVP was dropped eight times, didn’t throw a touchdown pass and tossed two picks. The Buffalo run defense continues to be an issue on a weekly basis, and with 2024 first-round pick Keon Coleman a healthy scratch for a second straight week, the Bills’ pass-catchers are suspect.
Buffalo is two back of New England with a head-to-head loss against the Patriots, so the AFC East title is looking unlikely. And while the Bills are talented, it’s getting harder by the week to imagine them making it to Santa Clara and Super Bowl LX in February.