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The Buffalo Bills travel this week to face off against another 2-3 team in the Houston Texans. The Texans are coming off a two-game win streak against uninspiring competition—the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys. Through their first six games of the year, this one on paper seems like the most winnable.
Here are five players we’ll be watching to make an impact on Sunday’s game:
QB Josh Allen
Over the past two weeks, Allen hasn't been able to put together his game through the air. The Texans have a good set of pass rushers in J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney, and a decent secondary to back it up with Tyrann Mathieu leading the way. This is a tough task for Allen to tackle and he's going to need help from his playmakers, but it all starts with him. Throughout the beginning of the season, the offense hasn't been able to push the ball downfield and create big plays. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll needs to utilize a trick or two he has up his sleeve to get the offense going.
WR Robert Foster
This Bills receiving corps is disheartening. Foster has the best straight-line speed of the group. He hasn’t been able to connect with Allen for a big play yet, but the one guy who can stretch the field is Foster. He’s had his own struggles with dropping catchable passes, including a couple of deep shots from Allen. It’s time for the two to establish a reliable connection on the long ball.
CB Tre’Davious White
In his second year, Tre’Davious White has quietly become a top-tier corner in the NFL. This week he will follow DeAndre Hopkins, who is easily a top-five wide receiver in the league. Their match-up will be one of the highlights of the game. Hopkins has a plethora of big-play ability, especially winning contested jump balls—something to watch closely on Sunday.
LB Matt Milano
Last week against the Tennessee Titans, Milano had one of his best games in his career thus far. He’s a good tackler and the Texans are getting Lamar Miller back, their starting running back. On top of that, Deshaun Watson’s athletic ability can create problems for defenses, so Milano and Tremaine Edmunds could be spying the quarterback more than usual in this game.
DT Jordan Phillips
After being signed by the Bills just a little over a week ago, Phillips already has Bills fans turning their head. Phillips is a big, strong and freakishly athletic guy for his size. He was able to get a lot of penetration against the Titans and blow up a few run plays from the snap. Phillips is another guy who can rotate in on the defensive front and make impact plays in a limited amount of snaps, keeping all four big guys up front fresh.