The Texans are 3-1 in their last four games and 5-5 heading into Week 12. Houston has won two in a row with QB Davis Mills.
Starting quarterback CJ Stroud suffered a concussion in Week 9 against the Broncos and missed Weeks 10 and 11 against the Texans. Houston takes a sharp turn in Week 12 with Thursday Night Football vs. the Bills. Prior to that matchup, the Texans had already ruled out CJ Stroud due to a concussion. This will be his third consecutive absence.
Davis Mills will start for the third consecutive year, replacing CJ Stroud in Week 12.
Texans QB CJ Stroud missed Thursday night’s game against the Bills. He is not out of concussion protocol yet.
Texans QB Davis Mills is starting again.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 18, 2025
This is the second time in his NFL career that CJ Stroud has missed at least two games due to a concussion. Stroud missed Weeks 15 and 16 with a concussion during his 2023 rookie season. CJ Stroud started all 17 games for Houston in 2024. The Texans’ decision to suspend Stroud from TNF means he will miss his third straight game due to a concussion. Not ideal for the Texans.
NFL officials expect CJ Stroud to return in Week 13 when the Texans play the ACF South against the Colts. Meanwhile, Davis Mills will start his third straight game for Houston. He has played in four games for the Texans this season, posting a 2-0 record as a starter. Mills has led Houston to wins in the past two games. Thanks to Mills, the team returned to a .500 record with five wins and five losses.
CJ Stroud (concussion) absent from TNF vs. Bills game
Stroud will miss 3 games in a row pic.twitter.com/A3uIgeNrIC
— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) November 18, 2025
Houston has an incredibly tough matchup in Week 12. They will be facing one of the top offenses in the NFL led by Josh Allen and the Bills. In their last game, the Bills scored 44 points against the Buccaneers. Buffalo’s offense is averaging 29.2 points per game in 2025. That’s tied with the Lions for fourth-most in the NFL.
Bills QB Josh Allen scored six total touchdowns in Week 11 against Tampa Bay. That included three passing and three rushing touchdowns. Houston’s defense will need to play one of its best games of the season to stop Buffalo’s offense. Josh Allen went 11-4 in the regular season while playing in the Dome. Will the Texans’ defense step up and limit Buffalo’s damage against TNF in Week 12?
