Week 12 of the season kicks off with a big AFC matchup on “Thursday Night Football” when the Buffalo Bills visit the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Both teams are coming off big wins last week and looking to keep that momentum going in prime time to start Week 12.
Buffalo improved to 7-3 last week after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 44-32. Josh Allen showed why he’s the reigning league MVP, scoring six touchdowns. Allen threw for three and ran in three touchdowns himself and completed 19-of-30 passes for 317 yards. The Bills are 1.5 games behind 9-2 New England for first place in the AFC East and cannot afford to lose ground in the division.
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After beginning the season 0-3, Houston has clawed its way back into the race by winning five of the last seven games (now 5-5) following that horrific start. Last week, the Texans went into Tennessee and stole a win without quarterback C.J. Stroud. Davis Mills filled in and passed for 274 yards and a touchdown in the 16-13 victory. Wideout Nico Collins had a big game, catching nine receptions for 92 yards and a touchdown.
Houston will now look to keep the momentum going, once again without Stroud, who continues to work his way through the concussion protocol.
Bills-Texans start time: 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: NRG Stadium | Houston
TV channel, live stream: Amazon Prime Video
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for live updates, highlights and more as the Bills and Texans open up Week 12 in primetime.
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Andy Backstrom
The Bills’ first drive of the second half was jumpstarted with an 18-yard gain. It ended with an 18-yard loss.
That’s not a typo.
Josh Allen tried to keep the play alive on third-and-6 after Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. nearly brought him down. But Anderson stuck with it and ultimately wrangled a scrambling Allen for a costly sack.
Anderson has been giving Allen a headache tonight. He’s got a pair of sacks already.
Andy Backstrom
Since starting 1-of-8 passing, Davis Mills has completed 10 of his last 13 attempts with a pair of touchdown tosses to his name.
Here are some first-half stats to know…
HOUSTON
Mills: 11-of-21, 122 yards, 2 TDs
Marks: 8 rush, 44 yards
Collins: 3 rec, 55 yards
3rd Down: 1-of-6
4th Down: 1-of-1
BUFFALO
Allen: 11-of-15, 88 yards, 1 INT
Cook: 7 rush, 75 yards, 1 TD
R. Davis: 97-yard kickoff return
3rd Down: 2-of-6
4th Down: 2-of-2
Andy Backstrom
What a response by the Houston Texans. Following the Bills’ special teams touchdown, the Texans swung momentum right back their way with a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive before halftime.
Davis Mills engineered a smooth 2-minute drill, which featured a 33-yard completion to Christian Kirk and an 8-yard touchdown toss to rookie wideout Jayden Higgins.
Mills is now 11-of-21 with 122 yards and 2 touchdowns through the air.
Here’s a look at the big play Kirk made to set the stage for Mills’ touchdown strike:
Andy Backstrom
Texans wide receiver Nico Collins initially stayed on his feet after taking a big hit from Bills safety Cole Bishop, but Bishop stuck his arm out to finish the tackle, and then Collins stayed on the ground in pain.
He’s getting checked out for a potential injury.
Andy Backstrom
Make that four kickoff return touchdowns in the NFL this season — the latest was authored by Bills running back Ray Davis.
Davis went 97 yards to the house after Ka’imi Fairbairn’s second field goal of the night. A spin move and cutback did the trick.
Bills special teams coordinator Chris Tabor was lifted up in celebration on the sideline.
Andy Backstrom
Houston went only five yards after picking off Josh Allen. The Texans still got points, though.
Ka’imi Fairbairn connected from 43 yards out to make it 13-9.
Andy Backstrom
Texans safety Calen Bullock nearly had a pick 6, however, an illegal blindside block by defensive end Derek Barnett cut Bullock’s 44-yard return short.
Still, Houston is back in the red zone because of the heads-up play Bullock made on the ball after Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair tipped a Josh Allen pass in zone coverage.
Andy Backstrom
Davis Mills underthrew wideout Jayden Higgins downfield and threw behind tight end Dalton Schultz earlier in the series, but, on second-and-goal, Mills located a wide-open Christian Kirk.
The shifty wide receiver slipped out of traffic from the Texans’ bunched formation before making the easy, 2-yard scoring grab.
The Texans are now head 10-9.
Note: RB Woody Marks now has 46 rushing yards on seven carries.
Andy Backstrom
Woody Marks is having himself a night already, and it continued when he plowed forward for six yards on fourth-and-1 midway through the second quarter.
The rookie running back is surging.
Andy Backstrom
Davis Mills completed only one of his first eight pass attempts, but he has the Texans on the move in the second quarter.
He started their latest drive with this 24-yard completion to wideout Nico Collins.
Andy Backstrom
Despite moving the chains on fourth down again, the Bills’ drive soon came to a halt.
Josh Allen was sacked by Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. for a loss of nine yards and then was flushed out of the pocket on the subsequent third-and-21, which resulted in an incompletion.
Matt Prater made a 44-yard field goal to bump Buffalo’s lead up to 9-3.
Andy Backstrom
A drive that started on the Bills’ own 5-yard line is mowing along.
Following a 22-yard pass to Gabe Davis, a 13-yard run by James Cook and 10-yard pass to Josh Palmer, Josh Allen located running back Ty Johnson downfield for a 23-yard gain on fourth-and-2.
The Bills are now 2-of-2 on fourth down tonight.
Andy Backstrom
Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir was evaluated for a concussion late in the first quarter but was quickly cleared to return.
Andy Backstrom
That was scary.
Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. chased down Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen from behind on third-and-6.
Allen somehow was able to hold onto the ball while picking up two yards as he fell forward. But when he hit the ground, he flailed in pain.
The reigning NFL MVP eventually walked off on his own. He didn’t even make a trip to the medical tent. It looks like Allen will be OK.
Andy Backstrom
The Houston Texans’ red-zone issues have continued Thursday night. In large part thanks to 12- and 19-yard runs from rookie running back Woody Marks, the Texans found themselves in striking distance midway through the first quarter.
But a pair of Davis Mills incompletions in goal-to-go situations led to Houston opting for a 24-yard field goal attempt, which Ka’imi Fairbairn drilled to cut the Texans’ early deficit in half.
Andy Backstrom
Fullback Reggie Gilliam and tight end Jackson Hawes paved the way. James Cook seized the opening and zoomed 45 yards on third-and-inches for the game’s first touchdown.
Gilliam blocking Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair was the first domino to fall.
With that run, Cook now has more than 1,000 rushing yards on the season.
Andy Backstrom
Josh Allen doesn’t need the tush push. He went full Superman on fourth-and-1 from the Bills’ own 28-yard line on their opening drive.
Allen leapt over the line and easily extended for the first down.
Andy Backstrom
So far, so good for the Buffalo Bills’ defense. They started things off by forcing a Houston Texans 3-and-out.
Joey Bosa and Greg Rousseau came off the edge on third-and-4 to pressure Texans quarterback Davis Mills, who then missed on a throw downfield to wide receiver Jayden Higgins.
Thu, November 20, 2025 at 5:00 PM PST
It’s almost that time!
Get your TVs set, as the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans kick off Week 12 on “Thursday Night Football,” airing live on Amazon Prime and NFL+.
Kate Magdziuk
The Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans have each made several roster moves ahead of Week 12:
Signed CB Damon Arnette to the practice squad
Elevated S Jalen Mills, LB Jackson Woodard from the practice squad
Signed CB Ajani Carter to the active roster from the practice squad
Elevated WR Gabe Davis, TE Keleki Latu from the practice squad
Placed WR Mecole Hardman on injured reserve