BILLS GAME DAY: Buffalo travels to Houston for Thursday night showdown with Texans (preview)

The Buffalo Bills return to action on a short week as they head to NRG Stadium for a Week 12 Thursday night matchup against the Houston Texans, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m.

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Buffalo enters at 7-3 after a 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Houston sits at 5-5 following back-to-back victories with Davis Mills under center, edging Tennessee 16-13 in Week 11 on a last-second field goal. This marks the latest chapter in a series that produced a dramatic finish last season, when the Texans stunned the Bills with a walk-off 59-yard field goal to win 23-20.

Houston will again be without quarterback C.J. Stroud, who has been ruled out as he continues recovering from a concussion. Mills, who guided the Texans to wins in Weeks 10 and 11, has thrown for a combined 566 yards with four total touchdowns in those starts.

Buffalo, meanwhile, looks to build on its most efficient passing performance of the year. Tyrell Shavers and Gabe Davis both delivered key contributions against Tampa Bay, and the Bills lead the NFL with 50 plays of 20-plus yards. They will need that explosiveness against a Texans defense ranked first in total yards allowed (258.1), third against the run, and third against the pass.

The Bills have lost each of their last five games in Houston and have not won there since 2006.

GAME PREVIEW LINKS

• Top 5 storylines for Bills at Texans | Week 12 (BuffaloBills.com)
• Houston Texans decide on starting QB for Week 12 matchup with Buffalo Bills (SI.com)
• What channel is Bills-Texans game on? Start time, how to watch Thursday Night Football (D&C.com)
• Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans Week 12 opening odds continue shifting (BuffaloRumblings.com)
• Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans: 3 key matchups to watch in Week 12 (BillsWire.com)
• Buffalo Bills sign player three days after releasing him (D&C.com)
• Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans: 5 things to watch for during Week 12 game (BillsWire.com)
• Bills head south to face NFL’s top defense in Thursday night showdown (D&C.com)
• Buffalo Bills Injury Report vs. Texans | Week 12 (BuffaloBills.com)
• Buffalo Bills injuries: 3 players ruled out for Week 12 at Texans (BuffaloRumblings.com)
• ‘Go out there and be fresh’ | How the Bills plan to buckle down for a quick turnaround into TNF (BuffaloBills.com)

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Kyle Evans

Kyle leads sports coverage and hosts the Concrete Jungle podcast. Have a lead or question? Send it to kyle@fingerlakes1.com.