How Bills botched a key fourth down: Frustrated Josh Allen sounds off on failed play in upset loss to Texans

Josh Allen showed plenty of frustration during Buffalo's 23-19 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night and it's easy to understand why: He was sacked a career-high eight times and he also threw two interceptions. As bad as the sacks and interceptions were, there was one specific play that seemed to frustrate Allen more than anything and that was a failed fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter. 

With just over 10 minutes left to play in the game, the Bills were trailing 23-16 and they had the ball at Houston's 23-yard line. With the team facing a fourth-and-1, Bills coach Sean McDermott decided to go for it, and the decision immediately blew up in his face when James Cook got stopped cold for a two-yard loss on the pivotal play. 

As you can see below, Cook had no chance. 

After the fourth down failure, Allen headed to the sideline and he definitely didn't look happy. He sat on the bench next to backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky and appeared to say "What are we doing?"

Following the game, Allen was asked about his sideline interaction with Trubisky and he admitted that he was extremely frustrated. 

"Just frustration on my part," Allen said. "In a situation like that, probably should have just banged a timeout. We got the play in late. Didn't give ourselves a chance there."

That's a short answer, but there's a lot to dig into here. For one, Allen suggests that the team should have called a timeout, which is a poor reflection on McDermott, who didn't recognize that a timeout might be the best option there. Allen also said that that play came in late, which isn't a good look for offensive coordinator Joe Brady. 

Someone on the Bills' sideline probably should have realized that the offense was in total disarray just before the fourth down play and responded by calling a timeout. 

Here's what happened leading up to the play that caused so much confusion for Buffalo: 

1. James Cook appeared to be gassed. Just before the fourth-and-1 play, Cook ran the ball on third down, which was the fourth straight play where he had carried the ball. Cook ran for 20 yards to get a first down at Houston's 32-yard line. He then had a 3-yard run, a 5-yard run and a 1-yard run to set up Buffalo's fourth-and-1. After the third down play, it was pretty clear that Cook was gassed and he started to walk off the field. 

At this point, the Bills should have called a play that didn't involve him or taken a timeout to give him a break, as Allen suggested. 

2. After briefly going to the sideline, Cook eventually returned to the game, but he didn't get to the huddle until there were just 20 seconds left on the play clock. And let's not forget, the play call came in late here and it appears Allen was still trying to figure out what the call was with just 18 seconds left on the play clock. 

At this point, the offense is now rushed, which is not what you want on fourth down. In the end, the play call ended up going to Cook, who didn't even want to be on the field for the play, because he wanted a chance to catch his breath. Like Allen said, this would have been the perfect spot for a timeout, but the Bills didn't take one, and their fourth down play never had a chance. 

Later in the quarter, the Bills ending up pulling off one of the most improbable plays of the NFL season when they converted a fourth-and-27, but since they lost, that's probably not the fourth down play that Allen is going to remember from the game. Instead, the Bills star quarterback is likely going to remember his frustrations from the fourth-and-1. 

The Bills had actually converted a fourth-and-1 earlier in the game with Allen jumping over the pile, but Brady decided not to go that route again. 

Allen threw for 253 yards in the game, but he totaled zero touchdowns against the Texans in a performance that came five days after he totaled six touchdowns in a 44-32 win over the Buccaneers. 

It was definitely a frustrating loss for Allen, but he didn't pin the blame on anyone except for himself. 

"I have to be better with throwing the ball away, living to see another down, letting us play some situational football and pinning them deep," Allen said. "Too many times, I was going backwards, and I have to be better on that."

Allen lost a total of 70 yards on the eight sacks that he took, and his interceptions were both costly. Allen's biggest problem might just be playing in Houston. The Bills quarterback is now 0-4 in his career when playing at NRG Stadium. Allen had been undefeated on Thursday nights (8-0) going into Week 12, but that unbeaten streak is now over after the Bills' stunning loss.