The Buffalo Bills have been plagued by inconsistency in recent weeks. After dominating the Kansas City Chiefs, they suffered one of the worst losses of the year when they lost to the lowly Miami Dolphins. Last week, a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seemed like the ideal get-right game for them.
However, they’d like to continue that surge of momentum in a Thursday Night Football game against the Houston Texans. Unfortunately, in the first quarter itself, their season came within a hair of a heart-stopping end that included a trip to the medical tent for wide receiver Khalil Shakir.
What Happened to Khalil Shakir?
A brutal possession for Buffalo against what has been the second-best team in the league on PFSN’s Defense Impact had a horrifying conclusion. Allen took a hard hit to the ground that looked like it would warrant a concussion check.
But it also caused a rough hit on Shakir, who was taken to the medical tent immediately after. While he was able to return to the sideline in next to no time, it was a shocking start to the game that may have left Buffalo fans in fear.
He was also checked out for a concussion, but was cleared soon after to return to the game. Ranked 18th on PFSN’s WR Impact, Shakir has been a valuable piece of the Bills’ offensive attack.
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This week, his role was significantly more important than usual, with names like Dalton Kincaid, Keon Coleman, and Curtis Samuel out for the game, all while new addition Mecole Hardman was placed on the injured reserve list.
Through 10 games this season, he was leading the team with 454 receiving yards and three touchdowns, with his 360 yards after catch serving as a shocking reminder of his unique ability to generate gains out of nothing.
Even though he’s been on the field for essentially the entire game, he has been a non-factor through the first half. Targeted on four separate occasions, he’s caught three passes, but only gained four yards on offense.
For a passing attack that has managed a total of just 88 yards, the going has been rough against this stifling Houston defense. Even with Davis Mills as their quarterback, the Texans hold a 20-16 lead over the Bills.
Rather than the arm talent of Josh Allen, it’s been an explosive run by James Cook and a kick return touchdown by Ray Davis that has done the bulk of the heavy lifting for them.
In the second half, though, Shakir came alive, as he added five more catches to his tally. Moreover, he was a master at gaining yardage in the period, adding 106 receiving yards to bring his game total to 110 yards.
However, the offense as a whole was stuck in the mud, managing to put up just three points in the entire half. Then, a game-sealing interception with less than 30 seconds on the clock from Allen secured a 20-19 victory for the Texans.
