Assessing the Buffalo Bills offensively is as simple as watching a good scary movie.  It’s so frightening to see, you prefer to keep your eyes closed.

The Buffalo Bills only mustered 150 yards of offense and  held the ball for  just 19 of the game’s first 56 minutes.  Predictably in the second half, the Houston Texans took advantage of an exhausted, injury depleted Bills’ defense.

Ryan Moats ran for 136 yards and scored three second half touchdowns, and the Texans easily handled the Bills, 31-10.

Buffalo lead at halftime, 10-6 but were held scoreless in the second half and were held to 84 yards in the final 30 minutes.

“The guys played their hearts out but we couldn’t get it done,” said head coach Dick Jauron after the game.

Apparently he must’ve been watching another game.  The Bills effort, especially offensively demonstrated a lot of things.  Heart wasn’t one of them.

Buffalo, according to their media guide, failed to generate 10 first downs for consecutive games. It’s the first time its happened since 1971.

The Bills head into the bye at 3-5 and well on pace to securing their ninth non-winning season in their last ten tries.

To make matters worse, the Bills were once again hit hard with injuries.  Aaron Schobel (groin), Jamon Meredith (knee) and Keith Ellison (quad) all left in the first half and didn’t return.  Jairus Byrd injured his groin late in the game. No status was given on any player immediately after the game.

The Buffalo Bills can handle pain… until it hurts

The Bills offense is stuck in the mud and they have no idea how to get out. Houston out gained Buffalo in total yards, 439-204, and 54 of those Bills’ yards came on a drive against a Texans defense in prevent mode in the game’s final minutes. The Bills didn’t get a second half first down until there was less than four minutes remaining.

To put exclamation point on another pathetic offensive showing, Ryan Fitpatrick threw an interception to rookie Brian Cushing on Buffalo’s final drive.

“The defense is playing their ass off and we’re doing nothing to help them,” Bills running back Fred Jackson said.

After Houston moved the ball 52 yards on the opening drive, the Cinderella rookie season of Byrd continued. Byrd picked off Matt Schaub after George Wilson provided pressure on a blitz, Schaub hurried a pass in the middle of the field that Byrd nabbed his sixth interception in the last four games.

Byrd has clearly been the Bills MVP this season.  Byrd is the first Bill to have an interception in four straight games since Buffalo Sports Daily’s own Jeff Nixon did it in 1979-80.

The defense produced a second turnover on Houston’s third possession.  After Steve Slaton caught a pass, Paul Posluszny stripped him and Marcus Stroud recovered the fumble.  Slaton was then benched for the remainder of the game.

But as has been the norm all season the Bills couldn’t capitalize.  Ryan Fitzpatrick was sacked and the Bills had their third straight three and out.

When you give a team too many chances they’re going to eventually make you pay, even the Bills. Byrd picked off his second pass for the third consecutive week.

Forget Rookie of the Year talk, Byrd is staking his claim for Defensive Player of the Year. He’s the first player in the NFL to have three consecutive multiple interception games in 49 years since David Baker did it for San Francisco in 1960.

One play later, Terrell Owens took an end around down the left sideline for a 29-yard touchdown to give Buffalo a 7-0 lead.  It turned out to be the Bills biggest play all day, and only touchdown.

The Texans got on the board  in the second quarter with a Chris Brown field goals of 42 and 22 yards to cut the score to 7-6.

After Brown’s second field goal, Fred Jackson took a kickoff 71 yards downfield to the Houston 34.  The Bills got it down to the four in the final seconds, but couldn’t put it in the end zone and had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by Rian Lindell.

Houston out gained Buffalo, 196-121 in total yards and held the ball for 17 minutes in the first half, but went into the locker room trailing by four.

It wouldn’t last. Buffalo got the ball to start the second half and failed to get a first down.  Houston wasn’t so generous on their first possession, taking the ball going 75 yards before Marcus Stroud and Chris Kelsay combined for a sack.  They settled for a third Brown field goal.

Following the Bills fourth three and out drive, Houston finally put the ball in the end zone after driving 72 yards in 10 plays culminating in a 11-yard touchdown run by Moats.  A two point conversion pass put Houston up 17-10.

Buffalo then took a gamble that failed.  After three straight runs by Jackson failed to produce a first down, the Bills tried a fake punt, but Justin Jenkins was tackled at his own 34 and Houston took over.

Six plays later Moats scored again, on a one yard run and Houston was up 24-10 and the dagger was put on Buffalo.

The game was sealed two plays later when Fitpatrick threw an interception downfield to Jacques Reeves.  Owens broke off his route and wasn’t within 20 yards of the ball.

“It’s hard to get momentum when we’re not staying on the field.  We can’t leave our defense on the field for that long.” Fitpatrick said.

Understatement of the year.

The Bills led at the half and had a golden opportunity to creep into the playoff race.  They now head into the bye week fully exposed as a pretender.

“Everyone (in the locker room) is not pleased with the way we play.” Owens said..  “Offensively we have to take it personal..”

Don’t worry, T.O.  If your teammates don’t take it personal,  fans subjected to watching this offense will do it for you.