Buffalo Bills Week Nine: Three Good, Three Bad

The Bills remained competitive for much of the game against the Houston Texans, but the talent gap between the teams was evident in the 21-9 loss. First, let's start off with some much needed good news for Buffalo's fans.

Three Good
1. Run defense: Yes, the Bills still surrendered 118 yards and a rushing touchdown in the loss, but the team held Arian Foster and the Texans strong ground game to just 3.7 yards per carry. There weren't nearly as many missed assignments, leading to fewer big-gainers than in recent games. Buffalo is still far from a great defense right now, but the progress made from their horrendous performance against Tennessee to the Texans is encouraging.
2. Mario Williams: The former Texan got his first crack at his old squad, and looked much more active than he's been through the first seven games, totaling 6 tackles and a sack, raising his total to 4.5 on the season (tied with Kyle Williams for the team lead). It appears as though the wrist procedure he underwent during the bye week has helped, and a healthy Williams is a big-time difference-maker for any defense, but especially one that has struggled as much as Buffalo has to this point of the year.
3. Donald Jones: The third-year receiver took advantage of the attention paid to Stevie Johnson, leading the team in targets (9), receptions (6) and yards (65). Jones didn't have a drop against the Texans, which has been one of his biggest struggles during his three seasons in the league. Buffalo will need a player to step up and make plays with David Nelson out for the season, and it appears as though Jones might be taking the steps necessary to do just that.

Three Bad
1. Pass coverage: Buffalo wasn't able to cover receiver Andre Johnson or tight end Owen Daniels in this game, as the duo combined for 12 receptions, 180 yards and a touchdown on 18 of quarterback Matt Schaub's 27 targets. The blown coverage on Daniels in the first quarter was especially concerning, as Arthur Moats bit up hard on the play-action, leaving an easy throw for Schaub and jaunt to the end zone for Daniels. On the day, Schaub completed 19 of 27 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns.
2. Second half play-calling: Buffalo trailed by just one point at the half, but with the way Chan Gailey called plays in the second half, someone would think the Bills were down by twenty points. After a reasonable pass-run ratio of 17 to 12 in the first half, Gailey's offense attempted just three combined runs to 21 passes. Entering the week with a top five running game, the decision to abandon your best weapons (in specific C.J. Spiller) in a tight game was frustrating to watch.
3. Pass protection: A big part of the failure of the pass protection lies with abandoning the running game in the second half, as the Texans were able to pin their ears back, and were almost constantly in Buffalo quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick's face. Three sacks surrendered doesn't tell the whole story, as Fitzpatrick was constantly hurried, and had to scramble or throw the football away on multiple occasions.

Closing Thoughts: The Bills players gave a solid effort against a Super Bowl front-runner, but second half play-calling by Chan Gailey and the teams' inability to defend the pass was their undoing. The good news for Bills fans is that the run defense is making strides, and after next week's game against New England in Foxborough, the Bills schedule softens some. It's likely just too late for Buffalo to make the playoffs.