HOUSTON (AP) — C.J. Stroud threw for 331 yards and a touchdown and Ka′imi Fairbairn’s tiebreaking 59-yard field goal as time expired lifted the Houston Texans to a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday.
The Texans (4-1) led 20-3 after a field goal early in third quarter before the Bills scored 17 straight points to tie it with about 31⁄2 minutes to go. Stroud was called for intentional grounding to bring up fourth-and-15 and take the Texans out of field-goal range with less than a minute left. A punt backed the Bills up to their 3 and they punted after three straight incomplete passes to give Houston one last chance.
Dare Ogunbowale had a 5-yard run to set up Fairbairn’s game winner. Already without running back Joe Mixon for a fourth straight game, Houston struggled offensively after losing NFL receiving leader Nico Collins to a hamstring injury after he scored a long touchdown early in the second quarter. Stefon Diggs led the Texans with six receptions for 82 yards in his first game against his former team since a blockbuster offseason trade.
Josh Allen was 9 of 30 for 131 yards and a touchdown as the Bills (3-2) lost for a second straight week after opening the season with three straight wins. Allen struggled before halftime again Sunday, managing just 56 yards passing a week after throwing for 42 yards in the first half of a rout by the Ravens. Dawuane Smoot’s strip-sack of Stroud gave the Bills the ball at the Houston 15 with 41⁄2 minutes to play.
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