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The Buffalo Bills continue to lean on fantasy football star Josh Allen while the Houston Texans try to stay in the playoff hunt. And here is the start ‘em, sit ‘em advice for their Week 12 Thursday Night Football contest.
Buffalo (7-3) enters off the high of a tough 44-32 win over the Buccaneers, while the Texans (5-5) will try to ride the momentum of a modest two-game winning streak after edging the lowly Titans.
It should be typical Thursday night football, where things are rarely typical of what you would ordinarily expect from teams.
Yes, I know, it’s obvious. You always start Allen, even if he played two against 11. One guy to snap and Allen to bull ahead for as many yards as he could get. Never, ever, ever sit Josh Allen.
However, there is a word of caution here. Allen isn’t going to account for six touchdowns this week. That has only happened twice in NFL history, with Allen doing it both times.
But this is a much better defense. The Texans are allowing the fewest yards in the NFL this season at 258.1 per game. They are No. 3 against both the run (87.1) and the pass (171.0). And they rank No. 1 in points allowed at 16.3.
Now, this doesn’t mean the Texans are going to completely shut Allen down. But it does mean he’s probably going to have an average game, for him.
Another thing that goes against Allen having a big game is the halo effect. Allen has been put on a pedestal, and rightly so, for his game against the Buccaneers, according to ESPN.
“Dude’s a dog,” Bills wide receiver Khalil Shakir said. “He’s just a dog. That’s what it is. There’s no need to overthink it. I mean, he’s unreal at everything he does. The best player in the league by far, and he’s going to show that every game day.”
But the NFL is a league where it’s tough to repeat things.
Still, start him. Just be prepared for less instead of more.
After back-to-back weeks of less-than-stellar ground efforts, look for Cook to bounce back this week. The Bills know the limitations of the Texans’ offense, so they can play conservatively and lean more on Cook.
And here’s where Cook becomes more valuable: in the passing game. The Texans should be able to shut down the Bills’ receivers. That means Allen will be scrambling for yardage and also checking down to Cook.
They will also likely try to get Cook down the field for a big play through the air. Cook could salvage a lesser yardage total with a long touchdown catch like he did against the Buccaneers.
Whatever happens, Cook likely won’t have much to say about it. He loves the game, but not the words, according to head coach Sean McDermott via Sports Illustrated.
“You know James, he loves ball,” McDermott said. “We...
