The battle of the cattle!
Welcome to Plays That Defined 2021! This ain’t your usual game recap. Here’s what to do. Pretend you’ve just written a novel and it’s time to select the cover art. You want a single picture that tells the reader what it’s all about, right? That’s the deal here. Vote for the play that best tells the “story” of this game. Which GIF is the best “cover art” for…
Week 4: Houston Texans at Buffalo Bills
After obliterating the Miami Dolphins and cruising easily by Football Team, the Buffalo Bills were up against the Houston Texans. It was universally expected Buffalo would pull off another victory. It turns out that sometimes everyone is right. The offense didn’t kick into high gear until the fourth quarter, but when the defense does what it did here, even the lowest gear is sufficient.
Tremaine Edmunds interception (Q1, 7:09)
As we’ve already covered this season, you don’t get such lopsided wins if only one side of the ball is clicking. Despite the final score, it wasn’t a dominant start for the Bills’ offense. The first interception of the game belonged to Josh Allen. And Buffalo wouldn’t score until their third drive, which followed this interception by Tremaine Edmunds. This was the first of five turnovers. While the offense didn’t start off dominant, the defense did.
Dawson Knox TD (Q1, 2:06)
And here’s that aforementioned score on the third drive. The offense ended up having a good day. A great day in fact. Here’s where it started. Josh Allen and Dawson Knox doing their thing.
Stefon Diggs fumble (Q3, 10:24)
Sometimes a game can be defined by a subplot. Check the time stamp. While this is well into the third quarter, it’s only a two-score game. Buffalo settled for multiple field goals in a row in the first half, going up 16-0. The team had three fumbles, including this one by Stefon Diggs. Luckily the ball bounced back into their hands each time. A small shift in luck and this game could have gone differently.
Mitch Trubisky TD (Q4, 3:46)
Now that the subplot of “what if” is covered, the reality is that a dominant defense never wavered. The offense took a while to really get going, but was steady in creating points. Eventually the trickle of scoring became a flood. What was a fairly close game into the third quarter ended as an embarrassment for Houston. I can’t think of a better punctuation mark on that sentiment than the backup QB Mitch Trubisky casually strolling into the end zone to go up 39-0.
Tyler Matakevich interception (Q4, 1:33)
Well, perhaps there is a better way to capture that sentiment. A backup linebacker coming away with an interception that seals a shutout. Looking to at least get on the board, Tyler Matakevich ruined that dream.
Time to vote, ready?