Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael is still one of the more interesting pieces in the team’s setup, even if his job description is more behind-the-scenes than headline-grabbing. Joe Brady is the head coach and still handles the play-calling on game day, but Carmichael is deeply involved in the weekly grind, helping shape the plan and serving as Brady’s extra set of eyes and ears when needed.
After Buffalo’s win over the Houston Texans, Carmichael talked Monday afternoon about the work that went into Week 1 and the people who helped make it click. Josh Allen singled out Austin Gunn for his part in the game plan, and Carmichael was quick to back that up: “Yeah, outstanding.
We spent a lot of time on it. Austin, that’s uh, you know something, that’s his baby every week, and we sat in there as a staff and he took us through it and you know what he thought was the best plan, and obviously the players executed it.
So yeah, shoutout to Austin for sure.”
Carmichael also had plenty to say about tight end Dalton Kincaid, whose performance in the opener clearly caught attention. He sees no real limitations in Kincaid’s work because of the lingering injury, and he pointed to the connection between Allen and Kincaid as a major reason Buffalo’s offense can keep rolling. Carmichael made it clear Kincaid is going to matter a lot if the Bills want to stay productive.
One of the more memorable moments from Sunday came on the touchdown to Joshua Palmer, and even Carmichael admitted he was watching it like a fan from the press box. He said Allen’s sequence caught him by surprise, adding: “That’s not where my eyes were.
And obviously all of a sudden the ball went up and I was like ‘pretty special there.’ So it was awesome to see.”
Now the Bills have to flip the page fast. They’re in a short week with the Detroit Lions coming to town for Thursday Night Football on Prime, and Carmichael said the plan starts with rest and recovery before the team doubles up the next two practice days to cram in as much as possible before kickoff.
In Other News...
Texans Frustration With Josh Allen Could Get Even Worse
Josh Allen gave Houston plenty to handle in the Bills 2026 season opener, piling up three touchdowns in the first half and keeping Buffalo in control from the jump. The Texans also found themselves on the wrong end of one of the games most frustrating moments when defensive tackle Mario Edwards was flagged for roughing the passer after making illegal contact with Allen, a penalty that turned into a 15-yard walk-off and an automatic first down for Buffalo.
For a Houston defense already trying to find answers against one of the leagues toughest quarterbacks, the call only added to the sting. It also comes against the backdrop of the NFLs 2026 roughing-the-passer rules and the fines tied to those hits, which means the Texans may have to be even more careful going forward if they want to avoid giving Allen and the Bills any more easy yards. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Allen Did His Part But Bills Have A Bigger Problem
Josh Allen gave Buffalo exactly the kind of start it needed against Houston, accounting for three first-half touchdowns and keeping the offense on schedule from the opening snaps. His pair of rushing scores also moved him into a tie with Frank Gore and Ottis Anderson for 20th all-time in NFL rushing touchdowns, a reminder of how much Allen continues to do as both a passer and a runner. He finished the half 8 of 11 for 163 yards, and the Bills went into the break with a 24-21 edge.
The problem for Buffalo was on the other side of the ball, where the defense let Houston stack up 21 first-half points and forced the Bills into a shootout they probably did not want. Jim Leonhard has work to do in the second half to settle things down, because Allen can keep bailing out this offense only for so long. [Read more 🡒]
Stefon Diggs Is Taking Heat For Another Costly Mistake
Stefon Diggs finally found the end zone for Washington on a 10-yard pass from Jayden Daniels against the Eagles, a moment that should have been a clean early highlight in his new setting. Instead, the celebration turned into a problem when Diggs drew a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for hugging the goalpost, a move the NFL has banned since 2014.
The flag changed the math for Washington immediately, pushing the Commanders into an extra-point try instead of a 2-point attempt in a tight game. Philadelphia went on to win 24-22, leaving Diggs with a first touchdown that came with an expensive reminder about how little room there is for error in a close finish. [Read more 🡒]