Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott took responsibility for the mismanagement of the game in the final moments of their 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans. McDermott acknowledged that the Bills failed to properly run down the clock and move the chains when they regained possession late in the game.
He noted that the Texans, with three timeouts and a reliable field goal kicker, had an advantage, and the Bills’ inability to execute strategically was on him. His decision to decline a 10-second runoff after an intentional grounding penalty on Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud was also discussed, though McDermott explained they did consider taking it.
After forcing a Texans punt, the Bills had the ball at their own 3-yard line with 32 seconds left. Instead of running the ball to drain the clock, quarterback Josh Allen threw three consecutive incomplete passes, making the Bills the first team in 45 years to throw three straight passes in such a late-game situation. McDermott expressed his regret over the playcalling, stating that while he trusted Allen, he should have called a run on the first play to better assess the situation. He acknowledged that getting a first down would have been critical to preventing the Texans from getting the ball back.
Allen’s first pass was intended for rookie Keon Coleman but was incomplete, with Coleman also being flagged for offensive pass interference, which was declined. Allen’s second pass was a deep throw to Mack Hollins that fell incomplete, and the third was aimed at Curtis Samuel, who slipped before the ball reached him.
McDermott took responsibility for these plays, indicating that he supported the aggressive approach but ultimately felt that the team could have handled it better. Both Allen and his offensive linemen, Connor McGovern and David Edwards, agreed with the aggressive playcalling, even though the outcome was unfavorable.
After a short punt return by the Texans, Houston quickly moved into position for a field goal, but the Bills had further communication issues on defense. Linebacker Dorian Williams was late onto the field, and cornerback Rasul Douglas said Williams may not have known the playcall. This breakdown contributed to the Texans gaining 5 yards on a quick play before Ka’imi Fairbairn’s game-winning 59-yard field goal as time expired.
In terms of offensive struggles, the Bills’ receivers had a difficult game, catching only 4 of 18 targets, marking their worst reception percentage since 2009. Allen completed just 9 of 30 passes, recording the lowest completion percentage in a game with 30 pass attempts in the past 30 seasons.
While Allen acknowledged that he needed to improve his accuracy, Coleman and the rest of the offense pointed to communication issues as a key factor in their struggles. Despite the loss, Edwards defended Allen, emphasizing his importance to the team and refusing to place blame solely on him.
