HOUSTON — With 2:27 remaining and the Buffalo Bills staring at a 4th-and-27 from their own 34-yard line, trailing 23-20 on national television, Josh Allen did what Josh Allen does: he made the impossible look routine.
In a play that will live forever in Thursday Night Football lore, Allen took the shotgun snap, rolled right under heavy pressure, and fired a dart across the middle to wide receiver Joshua Palmer at the Houston 41. As three Texans defenders converged, Palmer immediately lateraled the ball to a streaking Khalil Shakir, who turned upfield for an additional 15 yards before being dragged down at the Texans’ 33. First down. Pandemonium.
The hook-and-lateral, executed to perfection, gave Buffalo new life and sent social media into a frenzy. One problem: the Bills still needed a touchdown, and Houston’s defense — arguably the NFL’s stingiest unit through 11 weeks — wasn’t in a giving mood.
Three plays later, on 3rd-and-9 from the 32, Allen’s deep shot to Amari Cooper in the end zone was broken up by cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. Tyler Bass trotted out for a 50-yard field goal try that sailed wide left with 0:18 remaining. Game over. Texans 23, Bills 20.
“Give Houston credit — they made one more play than we did,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said afterward, his voice hoarse. “That 4th-and-27 conversion is something we practice, but you never expect to need it in that spot. Proud of the fight, but we’ve got to finish.”
The loss dropped Buffalo to 7-4, still atop the AFC East but now with zero margin for error in a suddenly crowded conference race. Houston improved to 8-3, strengthening its grip on the AFC South and serving notice that its defense — which entered the night ranked No. 1 in yards allowed and No. 2 in points — might be the league’s most complete.
Thursday’s showdown lived up to every ounce of its prime-time billing. Two elite defenses suffocated the opposing offenses for most of the night. Allen was sacked four times and hit on 11 drop-backs. C.J. Stroud, playing behind a patchwork offensive line, managed just 178 passing yards and took five sacks of his own. The teams combined for only 579 total yards and punted 13 times.
Yet the game will be remembered for one snap.
“That’s the type of play you draw up in the dirt as a kid,” Shakir said, still buzzing in the visitor’s locker room. “Josh put it right on Joshua, and I just tried to make something happen after the pitch. Wish we could’ve punched it in.”
Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, already under scrutiny for some questionable late-game decisions this season, heard both praise and second-guessing. Pulling out a trick play on 4th-and-27 was undeniably bold — and it worked. Failing to score from the Houston 32 afterward, however, reignited the debate about Buffalo’s red-zone struggles (they finished 1-for-4 Thursday).
For the Texans, the win was a statement. Will Anderson Jr. terrorized the Buffalo offensive line all night, finishing with two sacks and five quarterback hits. Stingley’s late pass breakup was the final exclamation point on a defensive masterpiece.
“Everybody talks about our offense, but that’s our identity right there,” Anderson said, nodding toward the defense huddled in celebration. “We knew they were going to take their shot. We just had to be ready.”
In a season where offense has dominated headlines, Thursday night in Houston was a throwback: gritty, nasty, and decided by the thinnest of margins. The Bills conjured magic when they needed it most — and still came up short.
As Allen walked off the field, he glanced up at the replay of the 4th-and-27 conversion on the NRG Stadium video board, shook his head, and muttered something to himself.
Probably the same thing every Bills fan was thinking:
Close only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades… and hook-and-laterals that get you to the 33.