Houston Texans Edge Buffalo in Emotional Showdown for Stefon Diggs

Heading into the much-anticipated matchup against his former team, Stefon Diggs downplayed the significance of facing the Buffalo Bills for the first time since his offseason trade to Houston. But after the Texans secured a dramatic 23-20 victory with a game-winning field goal, Diggs finally opened up about how much the game meant to him.

"I can’t pretend like this was just another game," Diggs admitted. "It was a big deal for me, and I’m glad my teammates understood that, even though I didn’t show it. I tried to stay composed and treat it like any other week, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t special."

C.J. Stroud had another impressive outing, throwing for 331 yards and a touchdown, while Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled a 59-yard field goal as time expired to lift Houston to the win. Diggs led the Texans with six catches for 82 yards, and his emotions were evident as he reflected on his time in Buffalo.

"It was emotional," Diggs said. "I just wanted to get a win for my team, but there’s no denying the feelings I had."

The Texans (4-1) looked like they had the game under control, leading 20-3 after a field goal early in the third quarter. But the Bills stormed back, scoring 17 unanswered points to tie the game with just over three minutes remaining.

Late in the fourth, Stroud was flagged for intentional grounding on third down, pushing Houston out of field goal range. Forced to punt, the Texans pinned Buffalo deep, and after the Bills went three-and-out, Houston regained possession for one last drive. A crucial 5-yard run by Dare Ogunbowale set up Fairbairn's game-winning kick.

"It wasn’t perfect," said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. "But what matters is how you finish, and I’m proud of the way our guys pulled through."

Houston was already missing running back Joe Mixon for a fourth straight game and suffered another blow when wide receiver Nico Collins, the NFL’s leading receiver, exited with a hamstring injury after his 67-yard touchdown catch in the second quarter. Collins is listed as day-to-day.

Buffalo’s struggles continued, with quarterback Josh Allen completing just 9 of 30 passes for 131 yards and a touchdown. The Bills (3-2) have now dropped two straight after a 3-0 start to the season. Allen’s rough first half mirrored his struggles from last week, managing just 56 passing yards before halftime after a similar performance in their loss to the Ravens.

"Things have been off for us these last couple of weeks," Bills coach Sean McDermott said. "We’ve got to be better, and that starts with me."

Buffalo made it interesting late, as Allen's 49-yard bomb to rookie Keon Coleman on fourth-and-5 brought the Bills within three. But it was too little, too late, as Houston’s defense held strong in the closing minutes.

The Texans capitalized early with a 15-yard touchdown run by Cam Akers to take a 7-3 lead, followed by Collins' long touchdown grab to push the lead to 14-3. Fairbairn added a pair of field goals, including the eventual game-winner.

Injuries: Houston RB British Brooks left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter, and safety Jimmie Ward exited in the second with a groin issue.

Up Next: The Bills will visit the New York Jets on Monday, Oct. 14. The Texans travel to New England next Sunday.

4o

Stroud & Diggs & Nico & Tank & Mixon Tee

Buy Now