3 winners & 4 losers in Buffalo Bills frustrating Week 12 loss to Texans

The Buffalo Bills knew the Houston Texans' defense was going to be tough to deal with in Week 12, but hardly anyone saw this game playing out the way it did.

With C.J. Stroud out and Davis Mills starting, the Bills should have had the advantage. That wasn't the case as the Texans were far too physical for Buffalo and walked away with a 23-19 win.

MORE: Bills lose starting linebacker to injury during Week 12 game vs. Texans

Let's take a look back at this game and see who stood out as winners and losers for the Bills as they fell to 7-4 on the season.

Loser: Taron Johnson, CB

Buffalo Bills cornerback Taron Johnson and safety Cole Bishop tackle Houston Texans wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

During the second quarter, the Bills had a chance to shut the Texans down on fourth-and-one in Buffalo territory. Houston ran the ball with Woody Marks, who was met in the backfield by Taron Johnson. Johnson was unable to get the running back to the ground, leading to a six-yard gain.

SIGN UP: Get Bills OnSI straight to your inbox (for free)

Just a couple of plays later, Christian Benford broke up a pass for Nico Collins, which should have set up a third-and-10. Instead, it was another first down for Houston as Johnson was flagged for illegal contact. Houston finished this drive with a touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, giving them a 10-9 lead.

Winner: Ray Davis, RB

Buffalo Bills RB Ray Davis returns a kickoff for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the second quarter at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Houston took a 13-9 lead late in the second quarter, but the Bills struck back right away. After the Texans' first touchdown, Ray Davis responded with a 97-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

RAY DAVIS TAKES IT ALL THE WAY BACK! 97-YARD KICK RETURN TD!

BUFvsHOU on Prime Video
Also streaming on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/TYbdqXsOkb
— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2025

This was just the second touchdown of the season for Davis, which happened to come on his 26th birthday.

Loser: The entire Buffalo Bills OL

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. tackles Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Buffalo entered this game feeling good about their offensive line, but they left wondering what went wrong up front.

MORE: 3 Bills' offensive stars leave field with injuries early vs. Texans

Houston has the No. 1 defense in the NFL, but the Bills' O-line was supposed to be ready for them. That wasn't the case as they had no answers. Josh Allen was under pressure on just about every drop-back and was sacked eight times.

Winner: Khalil Shakir, WR

Buffalo Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir enters the field before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Khalil Shakir nearly wound up on the list of losers after fumbling the ball away, which allowed the Texans to extend their lead. He rebounded, however, and was clutch in the fourth quarter.

Shakir had a 44-yard reception to move them into scoring range and later went 33 yards on a beautiful play where he took a lateral from Joshua Palmer to convert on a fourth-and-27.

Just... WOW pic.twitter.com/MGS1ujlvrx
— NFL (@NFL) November 21, 2025

He finished with 110 yards on eight receptions, standing out as one of the lone bright spots on offense.

Loser: Josh Allen, QB

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen throws a pass against Houston Texans defensive end Denico Autry. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

The offensive line did him no favors, but this was an ugly game from start to finish for Josh Allen.

SIGN UP: Get Bills OnSI straight to your inbox (for free)

After putting up six total touchdowns in the win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Allen did not record any in Week 12. He also had two interceptions, including one on the final offensive snap, which sealed the game.

Winner: James Cook, RB

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III runs for a touchdown against the Houston Texans in the first quarter at NRG Stadium. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

James Cook scored the first touchdown of the game, going 45 yards for his eighth rushing touchdown of the season.

.@thegreat__4 on the moooove. 🏃‍♂️

📺 Prime pic.twitter.com/oK80tQbVVJ
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) November 21, 2025

Cook topped 1,000 rushing yards on that play, making history as the third player in franchise history to log at least 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons. This achievement puts him in the elite company of O.J. Simpson and Thurman Thomas.

Loser: Matt Prater, K

Buffalo Bills place kicker Matt Prater walks over to the bench during first-half action against the Kansas City Chiefs. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As frustrating as the offense was for Buffalo, they could have had a shot at a tie late in the game if not for Matt Prater. Following the touchdown from James Cook, Prater missed the extra point, which loomed large at the end of the game.

The Bills were down 23-19, meaning they had to go for a touchdown. Had Prater not missed the kick earlier in the game, they could have gone for the tie, since they moved the ball to the Houston 22 before Allen's second pick.

— Sign up for OnSI’s Free Buffalo Bills Newsletter —

More Buffalo Bills News:

Ex-Bills' personnel director says 'just cut Keon Coleman'

Bills' short week underscores NFL scheduling disadvantages in race vs. Patriots

Bills bring back return specialist three days following release as need arises

Hallmark Channel's 'Countdown to Christmas' schedule featuring Bills' movie unveiled