The Buffalo Bills are coming off one of their biggest wins of the season, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 44-32 off the back of six total touchdowns from Josh Allen. Buffalo had to overcome the Bucs' star quarterback, Baker Mayfield, and Tampa Bay putting up a terrific showing of their own, but won't have to worry about that on Thursday when they face the Houston Texans, as C.J. Stroud will not play.
"DeMeco Ryans said C.J. Stroud and Jalen Pitre will both be out for Thursday's game," Jonathan Alexander reports. "He says they are progressing, but there aren't enough days for them to clear protocol."
This means the Bills will be facing backup Davis Mills, and it goes without saying that this is a big advantage for Buffalo. Playing a backup on a short week should help a Bills defense that has been incredibly volatile this season. They've had tremendous performances against the likes of Justin Fields and the New York Jets, but have given up north of 190 yards on the ground on three separate occasions this season to the Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Luckily for the Bills, the Texans' offense ranks 19th in yards per game, while the Bills' offense is second in the league in the same category. The Bills lost to Stroud and the Texans in 2024, and would love nothing more than to get to 8-3 and remain within striking distance of the New England Patriots.
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