Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills came up short against the Houston Texans on “Thursday Night Football.” Allen and Co. entered the primetime matchup with momentum on their side following their big win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. They lost a lot of steam on Thursday, though, after suffering a 23-19 defeat at the hands of the Texans.
Allen had a forgettable outing in Houston. The reigning NFL MVP completed 24-of-34 passes for 253 yards, but he failed to score a touchdown and was picked off twice. Allen has now thrown five interceptions in his last three games.
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Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) walks off the field.Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
A controversial incident took place in the second quarter of the game. It all started with Allen throwing an errant pass that resulted in what should have been a pick-six. After intercepting Allen’s pass, Texans safety Calen Bullock went all the way to score a touchdown on the other end.
The score was called off, however, due to a blindside block violation on Houston defensive end Derek Barnett, who clobbered Bills tight end Dawson Knox from behind.
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The violation led to a 15-yard penalty for Houston, which was enforced at the Bills’ 15-yard line. The Texans were unable to score and settled for a 43-yard field goal on the same drive.
It’s Barnett who is now facing a potential punishment from the NFL here. The league will automatically review his blindside block, and it could lead to a hefty fine for the Super Bowl-winning DE. For context, the NFL’s rule book indicates that a blindside block can be punished with a $17,389 fine for a first offense and a fine of $23,186 for a second offense.
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Barnett has been fined four times in his career for varying offenses. He has already paid a total of $60,954 in fines, and another one could be coming.
Barnett will need to wait for the NFL’s decision, which will be announced via the weekly gameday accountability report.
Related: NFL Reacts to Josh Allen’s Personal Decision for Bills Game
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 21, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.