'TNF' takeaways: Texans show they have Super Bowl-quality defense

The NFL Week 12 schedule kicked off on Thursday night with the Houston Texans delivering an impressive — and significant — 23-19 win over the Buffalo Bills, allowing them to keep pace in the AFC playoff race. It was another stellar showing by their defense, which should make the rest of the conference — and the league — take notice.

Here are some key takeaways from the Texans' win on Thursday:

Houston has a Super Bowl-caliber defense

Houston's defense entered Thursday's game as the No. 1 unit in the NFL in almost every major statistical category, including points against per game (16.3) and yards allowed per game (258.1). They led both categories by a fairly significant margin. 

Even with those impressive numbers they had to know they were going to get a big test with reigning league MVP Josh Allen and the Bills offense coming to town. 

The passed the test, easily.

After allowing Buffalo to move down the field for an opening drive touchdown, the Texans defense took over the game and only allowed Buffalo's offense to add just two field goals the rest of the game. Buffalo's only other touchdown came by way of a kick return.

Overall they limited Allen to one of the worst games of his career, holding him to zero touchdowns, intercepting him twice and sacking him a career-worst eight times. It was a dominant, defensive clinic and sends a big message to the rest of the league.

The AFC does not have a single dominant team in it. Everybody is flawed in some major way. But there is not a team in the AFC that has a better unit or side of the ball than Houston does with its defense. Having a unit that dominant in a wide open conference should make them a very dangerous team. 

Buffalo has real concerns

Speaking of no dominant teams in the AFC, the Bills have some very serious concerns right now. Their defense has been a major concern all year and allowed Houston to rush for 108 yards on Thursday, while also not being able to force a single turnover against Davis Mills. 

The offense is still lacking playmakers at wide receiver, while one of their most talented players has fallen out of favor with the coaching staff and team as a whole.  

Perhaps even worse on Thursday, Allen took such a beating and so many hits that on two different occasions he was in clear pain in the field grabbing at his right wrist/hand area. If something happens to him injury-wise they are not going to have a chance. They need him to be healthy, and even then it might not be enough.

The Bills also find themselves two games back of the New England Patriots in the AFC East, having already lost the first head-to-head meeting. That pretty much makes it, for all intents and purposes, a three-game lead for the Patriots.

Missed extra point was huge turning point

An underrated play in this game came after the Bills' only offensive touchdown when placekicker Matt Prater shanked the extra point. That missed point would prove to be significant in the fourth quarter when the Bills, trailing by four points, had a potential game-winning drive end with an interception on fourth down. Had Prater made the extra point they could have kicked a game-tying field goal in that spot.

Davis Mills did the job

We know the Texans have the defense to win. The question will be whether or not they have the offense. The absence of starting quarterback C.J. Stroud could have been a season-crushing blow, but Mills has come in and gone 3-0 as a starter to help save the season and their playoff chances. It has not always been pretty, but he has done what has been asked of him.