Buffalo Plus Podcast: What They're Saying in HOUSTON about BILLS vs TEXANS with Seth Payne

Date: October 2, 2024
Guests: Mike Catalana (Host), Seth Payne (Former NFL Defensive Tackle, Houston Texans/Jacksonville Jaguars)

Episode Overview

This episode brings on Houston radio personality and former NFL defensive lineman Seth Payne to preview the upcoming Buffalo Bills vs. Houston Texans matchup. The discussion digs into both teams’ mindsets, roster strengths, key players (including Stefon Diggs' transition from Buffalo to Houston), and how the Texans are being viewed in Houston. Seth shares candid inside insights on players, schemes, and what fans can expect when these two teams clash.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. CJ Stroud’s Year 2 Development (02:40–05:49)

• League-wide Defensive Trends: Defenses are playing more cover two this season, including against Houston; CJ Stroud is seeing it three times as much as last year.
• Stroud’s Maturity: He’s growing at taking checkdowns and avoiding risk, but the offense hasn't been a constant highlight reel so far.
• Run Game Issues: Joe Mixon's injury and inconsistent O-line play have thrown a wrench in Houston’s plans for a more balanced attack.
• Penalties: Texans have "crushed themselves with penalties." (04:29)

“CJ has never looked in any of these first four games…like he’s been pressing…But he’s like any quarterback, you got to find that balance, you know, taking your shots downfield, but also just taking what the defense gives you.” — Seth Payne (05:28)

2. Texans' Wide Receivers — Focus on Nico Collins & Stefon Diggs (05:49–12:34)

• Nico Collins: Emerged as a top-5 WR candidate if he maintains this pace; effective vs. both man and zone.
• Stefon Diggs: Fit into Houston’s locker room as a respected vet and leader, performing all the right actions so far (“very best part of Stefon Diggs off the field"). (09:43)
• Diggs' Role Adjustment: There’s curiosity whether Diggs will fully embrace a steady, less “electrifying” role if numbers decline.
• Tank Dell: Exciting but slight receiver with a physical style that puts his durability in question.

“I think shelf life is probably the right word ... it was time for Josh [Allen] to live on his own without his big brother.” — Seth Payne on Diggs’ departure from Buffalo (09:55)

“We need Tank Dell to understand that everybody already knows he’s tough ... just please go to the turf every now and then.” — Seth Payne (13:00)

3. Offensive Philosophies & Play-Action Debate (15:53–23:42)

• Bobby Slowik (Texans OC): Embattled due to run game struggles but cut some slack due to Mixon’s absence; still searching for a full, balanced offense.
• Play-Action Effectiveness: Analytics say “success” isn’t necessary for play-action to work, but a credible run threat helps psychologically for defensive players.

“You’re sacrificing a rundown to set up the play action, which is effective in setting up the play action, but it’s not effective in genuinely being a menacing offense.” — Seth Payne (19:36)

• Run Game vs. Pass Game: It’s less about aesthetics, more about psychological advantage and being “able to win multiple different ways” as playoff teams do.

4. Texans’ Defensive Identity & Key Players (23:42–26:43)

• Defensive Line: High hopes but under-delivering pass rush outside of specific game plans (relied on blitz vs. Caleb Williams).
• Nickel/Slot Concerns: Experiment with Jalen Pitre at nickel has yielded mixed results and highlighted vulnerability versus certain matchups.
• Jerry Hughes: Remains a respected, passionate veteran.

5. Coaching & Culture — Ivy League Stories (26:43–28:23)

• Fun aside on Ivy League football alumni in the NFL—Seth Payne (Cornell), Ross Tucker (Princeton), and cultural perceptions around "smart guys" in the locker room.
• Matt Burke (Texans DC): Dartmouth grad, praised for being pragmatic and relatable.

6. Team Response to Adversity (28:23–31:19)

• Discussion of Bills’ remarkable streak (43 regular season games without a loss by 7+ points) and emotional impact of blowout losses.
• Importance of “Corrections in Defeat”: A bad loss often resets complacency and sharpens focus for good teams.

“Do not ignore in victory what you would address in defeat. That happens over and over again. … The corrections hit home a lot more acutely to where you feel it in your gut.” — Seth Payne (30:09)

7. Game Keys & Matchup Analysis (31:50–36:32)

• Texans’ Offensive Approach: May try to spread it out more, utilize quick game, and trust O-line less against Buffalo’s pass rush. Joe Mixon's return could boost their ability to run effectively under center.
• Bills’ Offensive Approach: Will test the Texans deep—Houston’s secondary has shown lapses on double moves and blown coverages.

“This defense has had its lapses. This defense…they’ve got guys who have been on double moves. This Texans defense has had bad safety play at times where guys are able to get deep down the field on them. So the Josh Allen deep strike...looms large in my mind…” — Seth Payne (35:45)

• Bills WR Keon Coleman: Seth finds him "endearing"—worth watching if he’ll remain a steady contributor beyond his fun rookie persona.

8. Stefon Diggs & Josh Allen — The Narrative (36:32–38:36)

• Predictions that any positive comment about teammates will be spun into "he hates Diggs"/"he hates Allen," but there’s no personal drama anticipated pregame.

"Both Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs at some point will say something nice about their own current teammates. And it’s going to get spun into… ‘Sounds like he hates Stefon Diggs.’" — Seth Payne (38:17)

Memorable Quotes

• “Penalties…these are absurdly ridiculous. False starts, illegal alignment before the snap, like all of these little procedural things that are just dumb penalties … that’s knocking the Texans back into third and long a lot.” — Seth Payne (04:29)

• “If you’re a team, a defense that just got run on, you’ve kind of been made the beta male … humans aren’t that far off.” — Seth Payne on run-game psychology (21:48)

• “We’ve seen it done so many different ways. … Most years, you got to be able to win multiple different ways. One game, it might be the run game, another game, it might be the pass game, but you’re not going to make a deep run unless you can do it in multiple ways.” — Seth Payne (23:22)

Important Timestamps

• CJ Stroud’s Development: 02:40–05:49
• Nico Collins & Diggs in Houston: 05:49–09:43
• Diggs’ Locker Room Fit & Reputation: 09:43–11:44
• Tank Dell’s Health & Style: 12:34–14:43
• Bobby Slowik's Status as OC: 15:53–18:24
• Play Action and Analytics: 19:20–21:48
• Defensive Struggles & Matt Burke: 23:42–26:43
• Response to Blowout Losses: 28:23–31:19
• Texans Game Plan vs. Bills: 32:31–34:07
• Texans Defense vs. Josh Allen: 34:30–36:17
• Narratives around Diggs & Allen: 36:32–38:36

Wrap-Up

Tone: Engaging, humorous, and candid—with plenty of locker-room perspective and inside knowledge.
Takeaway for Fans:

• Texans are an ascending but flawed team with a developing star QB, playmakers at WR, and key questions on defense and in the run game.
• Stefon Diggs’ move to Houston is working—for now—but history shows the need for a “honeymoon phase” with his new team.
• Bills are viewed as a disciplined, consistently competitive team that will test Houston defensively on the deep ball and offensively by spreading the field.
• Sunday’s game is less about off-field narratives and more about which team can play its style most effectively in a pivotal AFC matchup.