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DJ Bien-Aime, ESPN
HOUSTON — Stefon Diggs mentioned the win towards his former workforce “meant so much,” because the Texans defeated the Buffalo Payments 23-20 to maneuver to 4-1.
This was the primary matchup between the Texans and Payments since Diggs was traded to Houston within the offseason for a 2025 second-round decide. Following the victory, coaches and gamers made clear they needed to win for the star receiver.
All through the week with the anticipated matchup approaching, Diggs mentioned he held “it in all week power clever” and did not convey up the magnitude of the sport an excessive amount of to his teammates. However the former All-Professional was overjoyed that his workforce rallied round him for the victory.
“We received a dub this week. We 1-0. Clearly, enjoying my previous workforce, I am not going to take a seat right here and act prefer it was simply common,” Diggs mentioned. “It meant so much to me, and it was reassuring that the blokes round me knew that it meant so much to me, even when I did not say it. I attempt to simply maintain it poised and deal with each week prefer it’s the identical. However I would be mendacity if I mentioned it did not imply so much to me.”
The Texans jumped out to a 14-3 lead within the first quarter capped by wideout Nico Collins’ 67-yard landing reception. Collins, who’s main the NFL in receiving yards (567), suffered a hamstring damage on that scoring play and did not return.
However that did not forestall quarterback C.J. Stroud from totaling 331 passing yards with a passer score of 97. Stroud leaned on Diggs to resist Collins’ damage as Diggs completed with a game-high 82 receiving yards.
“It was enormous. I do know at this time Diggs was a bit emotional. He simply needed to play nicely towards his former workforce,” Stroud mentioned. “He did a great job by simply letting his feelings have an effect on his play, and he performed nice. Simply blissful that he is proud of this dub.”
Stroud had a few second-half turnovers (a misplaced fumble and an interception) that helped the Payments overcome an early 20-3 result in tie it with three minutes remaining. However the second-year signal-caller led the Texans into discipline objective vary with two seconds left, and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn nailed the successful 59-yarder.
What helped propel the Texans to this win was coach DeMeco Ryans’ sport plan on Payments star quarterback Josh Allen, who went 9-of-30 for a season-low 131 yards with one landing and a passer score of 56.
Ryans’ protection compelled Allen to document the bottom completion proportion (30.0%) in a sport with at the very least 30 cross makes an attempt up to now 30 seasons, in response to ESPN Analysis.
“Actually blissful for Diggs,” Ryans mentioned. “I knew how vital this win was for him. Knew how vital this week was for him. … We needed to get this one for Diggs.”
What triggered Allen’s completion proportion to plummet was the Texans’ cross rush together with their protection on the Payments’ playmakers.
No Payments receiver completed with greater than 50 receiving yards, and Allen was pressured on a season-high 45% of his drop backs. When he was pressured, he accomplished just one cross for twenty-four yards on 14 makes an attempt.
“Limiting Josh, man he is a superb participant. He is a troublesome out for us, nevertheless it took a valiant effort from everyone. It was a collective effort,” Ryans mentioned. “We knew we weren’t going to get many sacks towards him as a result of he is so elusive within the pocket. We simply needed to maintain dashing and maintain the stress on him. So that they did an incredible job of protecting the stress on him and our backhand guys, the way in which they coated, that was the explanation why.”
The Texans will journey to face the New England Patriots in Week 6 however is perhaps with out Collins. In accordance with sources, Collins felt some tightness in considered one of his hamstrings following that landing reception and determined to not drive it.
Ryans mentioned Collins is “day-to-day.”
