Wood thinks Mills is up for handling Watt, Texans

With Seantrel Henderson missing yet another day of practice due to illness Thursday, the Buffalo Bills' chances of having their starting right tackle available against J.J. Watt and the Houston Texans this weekend are dwindling.

While that news may have Watt licking his chops, it's a task that veteran center Eric Wood thinks fill-in Jordan Mills will have no problem handling.

"He'll do fine," Wood said via BuffaloBills.com. "Jordan is a guy who has worked extremely hard since he got here. He has great technique. He's really smart. 

"[Neither] the moment nor the matchup will be too big for him."

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Wilfork announces deal with Texans; J.J. Watt loves it

The news of Vince Wilfork inking a deal with the Houston Texans Monday yielded some strong feelings in New England. Feelings from the Texans side, however, made much bigger headlines.

Following the veteran's announcement of the move via Twitter, Houston's star defensive end, J.J. Watt, had only thing to say:

haha
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) March 16, 2015

According to John McClain of the Houston Chronicle, Wilfork's deal is worth $9 million over two years, with more than half guaranteed.

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Pass-happy Bills nixed by opportunistic Texans 'D'

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

The Buffalo Bills' offense literally came out throwing against the Houston Texans Sunday. Problem was, Houston was more than ready for it.

The Texans' defense, behind an impeccable performance from J.J. Watt, nabbed two crucial interceptions from an unusually pass-happy Bills offense and rebounded from a 10-0 deficit in the first half Sunday on their way to a 23-17 victory.

"I think when we get into games where we threw the ball as much as we did, that gets us in trouble," coach Doug Marrone said via the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle after the game.

Patriots' stout third-down offense to face tough test

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

The New England Patriots have put together some pretty impressive stats this season — averaging more than 35 points per game, boasting a plus-24 takeaway rating. Most impressive, however, many be the offense's success on third down.

Since the mid-'90s, New England has put up some stellar numbers on third down, but it's never finished with higher than a 50 percent conversion rate, according to ESPN.com. That's exactly the position the Pats are in now, posting a ridiculous 53 percent rate thus far.

The team will face perhaps its toughest test this weekend, however, as the Houston Texans head into Massachusetts touting the league's most proficient defense on third down. (photo: Maitri, Flickr)

“Third down, they rush well and they cover well,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters Wednesday. They’ve created a lot of long yardage situations, they’ve been ahead and so that’s helped their pass rush.

Patriots preparing everyone to block J.J. Watt

BY NICK ST. DENIS

In a league that features weekly man-to-man battles between elite pass rushers and high-paid offensive tackles, J.J. Watt is a little different.

Not because he draws a double-team, but because he draws a team-team. Watt lines up all over Wade Phillips' defensive front depending on the situation.

"... we’re going to have to have more than one guy ready to handle him and block him," Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said, via Patriots.com. "It won’t just fall to the guard or to the tackle. It could be anybody at times, based on the way they play him."

Watt has sacked quarterbacks 15.5 times this season. He's also forced one fumble and has defensed an incredible 15 passes.

Bills trying to figure out Watt to do vs. Texans' D

BY DAN BEGNOCHE

While the Buffalo Bills' defensive squad is figuring out how to quell the league's ninth-ranked offense, the offense will be equally busy with the Houston Texans' third-ranked defense.

Run by defensive guru Wade Phillips, Houston's squad is touting some of the best stats in the league, namely against the run (83 yards per game), in points per game (18) and in turnover differential (+7). And a big part of that success is due to the play of defensive end J.J. Watt, who's put up ridiculous numbers in his seven games.

“J.J. (Watt) is playing out of his mind right now,” Buffalo running back Fred Jackson told reporters Monday. “It will be a good challenge for us, but for us to get to where we want to be, we know we have to play teams like this.”

Watt leads the league with 9.5 sacks, leads all defensive lineman with 10 pass deflections and has recovered two fumbles, as well. Watt shrugged off his accomplishments Tuesday when speaking with buffalobills.com, saying the Texans' defense has much more in store for the second half of the season.