The NFL's schedule makers never fail to disappoint when it comes to storylines, and we're getting a juicy one in Week 5: Stefon Diggs' first game against his former team, the Buffalo Bills.
Diggs' departure is still relatively fresh in the memories of those who follow the NFL, and much of the narrative was centered on two key points: Buffalo's struggle to keep Diggs content, and his sudden dropoff in usage in his final five games with the Bills. Diggs saw his role diminish following Buffalo's decision to fire offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and replace him with Joe Brady, and his playtime followed, falling from around 90 percent into the 60 percent range in the last month or so of Buffalo's 2023 season.
Sure, the news of his trade to the Houston Texans still sent shockwaves throughout the NFL, but it wasn't entirely shocking. The writing had been on the wall for a while, especially after Diggs missed part of mandatory minicamp in 2023 due to apparent displeasure with the team, leading Bills coach Sean McDermott to state he was "very concerned" about Diggs' brief absence and setting a tense tone for their final campaign spent together.
None of that matters to Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, who is happy to have Diggs on his side for this meeting.
"It's been great. I think he got a bad rap just by the media and by people," Stroud said of Diggs on Wednesday. "But he's been nothing but just amazing to this team and to his teammates. He's helped me out a ton. As you can see, we're clicking more and more every game. So, I'm very happy for him and I'm glad that he's finally having fun playing the game and doing what he loves to do because he loves football a lot. So, just really, really happy to be part of his journey and just being around him has been really awesome."
Stroud isn't wrong. He and Diggs have already linked up 25 times for 233 yards and two scores, and Diggs added another touchdown by reversing course on a running play in Houston's Week 4 win over Jacksonville. By all accounts, Diggs is very much enjoying his change of scenery.
"I have a lot of fun," Diggs said on Wednesday, . "Obviously when you go to a new team, this is my third time or second time going to a new team, you never know what to expect and what kind of guys you'll be around. Obviously, I do have a little bit of a rapport with C.J. prior to [the trade]. It's easy to get a bad rap."
Diggs isn't the same target hog he was in Buffalo, but he doesn't need to be. That likely won't change Sunday when his Texans face the Bills, even if Diggs would like to make a statement with a huge game against his former team.
"For a player, it is always in the back of your mind where it is a big deal when you play your former team," Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans said Wednesday. "It is a little added weight where you really want to beat your team. It doesn't change our preparation and how we go about our business on a week-to-week basis. It is a matter of guys going out and we have to play together, we have to play as a team, we have to play clean football versus Buffalo for us to have a chance to win this game."
The Texans' operation hasn't been entirely clean yet in 2024. They're 3-1 but needed all four quarters to take down the lowly Jaguars. All three of their wins have come by one possession, and their one loss was an embarrassing blowout in which they were outclassed by the Minnesota Vikings.
Folks are still waiting for the Texans to find the stride that powered them to an AFC South title and a Super Wild Card Weekend win last season. A big game against Buffalo would go a long way toward changing their own narrative as a team.
Ryans knows Diggs will play a key part in their game plan. He just wants to make sure Diggs isn't trying to be a hero.
"You have to make sure you stay focused and locked in," Ryans said. "A lot of times, some guys, if you make it bigger than what it is, then you get out of your element of playing fundamentally sound and being where you are supposed to be. At the end of the day, it is still a game. You really want to beat them, but you can't do more than you are asked to do. You just have to let the game come to you and make the plays that you are supposed to make."
Coming off a blowout loss to Baltimore, the Bills will arrive in Houston with the hopes of getting back on track. Diggs and the Texans will aim to ensure they're derailed for at least one more week.
