How Josh Allen can rebound vs. Texans team that caused career-worst performance

NRG Stadium in Houston has been a house of horrors for the Buffalo Bills, and the same goes for quarterback Josh Allen, who had arguably the worst performance of his career against the Texans in Week 5 of last season.

Allen went 9-of-30 passing for 131 yards and a touchdown in the Bills' 23-20 defeat to the Texans on October 6, 2024. His 30% completion rate was the lowest of any QB with at least 30 attempts in a game in the last 30 seasons, and a variety of factors contributed to that stat line.

For one, Allen was without his top receiver, Khalil Shakir, due to injury, and he took a big hit around the head in the second half. He didn't exit the game, yet threw three straight incompletions at his own 3-yard line in the final 40 seconds to set up Houston with a game-winning field goal situation.

Oct 6, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) rushes against the Houston Texans. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Allen was also at fault due to his own inaccuracy at times, too. He had a career-best game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but against the Texans, he'll have to deal with circumstances similar to those during their last matchup.

Tight end Dalton Kincaid, who leads the Bills with 56 receiving yards per game, is trending towards being inactive for the second straight game with a hamstring injury, as he didn't practice on Tuesday.

MORE: Josh Allen trails surprising AFC East rival in latest MVP watch list

Allen will likely find no help from running mate James Cook, as the Texans rank third in the NFL in run defense, so the 2024 NFL MVP will have to do more with his legs.

The Texans also rank third in pass defense and first in total defense and scoring defense, so Allen will have his hands full. Perhaps utilizing breakout star Tyrell Shavers will spark something for Buffalo's offense.

If Allen wants to overcome his demons in Houston on Thursday Night Football, he'll have to play at an MVP level like he did against the Bucs on Sunday.

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