The Buffalo Bills walked out of Week 1 with a 36-31 win over the Houston Texans, and Dion Dawkins wasted no time turning the pregame doubt into fuel.
Buffalo had been in this spot before. The Bills hadn’t won in Houston since 2006, back when J.P.
Losman was under center, and the Texans had gotten the better of them in recent memory. Last season, Houston’s defense overwhelmed Buffalo’s offense and sacked Josh Allen eight times.
So when the picks started rolling in before this matchup, the skepticism made sense.
That didn’t stop Dawkins from keeping receipts.
After the Bills’ win, Allen’s left tackle posted a screenshot on X showing NFL analyst winner picks for the game. Nine of the 10 picks backed Houston in a one-score game, while only one analyst had Buffalo winning by double digits. Dawkins paired the image with a simple message: “Free energy”
Free energy pic.twitter.com/b8vMrmLPxO
- Dion Dawkins (@DDawkins66) September 13, 2026
The Bills turned that doubt into a statement. Allen put together an MVP-like performance, throwing for over 300 yards and accounting for four total touchdowns. It was the kind of night that reminded the league Buffalo is still very much in the championship-contender conversation, even with Joe Brady now leading the way as head coach.
There was no clear blueprint for what Brady would look like in that role, and plenty of people leaned on the Texans’ recent edge in the matchup. But Buffalo came in with a new season and a new era, and the result was better than the outside noise suggested.
Dawkins had every reason to celebrate, too. The Bills’ offensive line handled a tough Texans defensive front well, and with the way Buffalo’s offense can explode at any moment, betting against them came with real risk.
Maybe that changes some minds moving forward. Then again, for a team like the Bills, being doubted might just be part of the fuel.
In Other News...
Bills Home Opener Is Becoming A Costly Headache For Fans
The Bills home opener against the Detroit Lions is turning into a planning exercise as much as a football date for fans hoping to be in Orchard Park. Hotel rooms near Highmark Stadium are scarce and expensive, and even getting a place to leave the car has become part of the scramble, with stadium parking already sold out and neighborhood lots left as the main backup.
With a big crowd expected, the game day logistics are getting tighter by the hour. Several roads around the stadium will close before kickoff, adding another layer for anyone making the trip, and it has turned what should be a straightforward opening weekend into a costly headache for Bills supporters trying to get in the door. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Got The DJ Moore Update They Needed
DJ Moore gave the Bills something to keep an eye on after he was hurt on the final snap of Buffalos game against the Panthers, but the immediate concern has eased. Head coach Joe Brady later said Moore was good to go, and the receiver is not listed on Buffalos injury report heading into the next matchup with the Detroit Lions.
That is welcome news for a Bills offense that already saw what Moore can bring in his debut. He finished with five catches, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, giving Buffalo a big-play presence that showed up right away and should matter again as the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Win Didnt Stop Jim Leonhard From Zeroing In On One Concern
Jim Leonhard had plenty to like after Buffalos 36-31 season-opening win over the Houston Texans, but the Bills defensive coordinator did not sound interested in treating the result as proof that everything was already in place. The score mattered, of course, and so did the way Buffalo opened the year with a victory, yet Leonhard still spent his review pointing out the defensive areas that need cleaning up as the Bills move deeper into September.
One of the clearer concerns came with inside linebacker Terrel Bernard, who played the entire game but showed up on the injury report the next day. For a defense trying to settle into Leonhards approach, those small turns can matter just as much as the big-picture result, and the early evaluation suggests Buffalos coordinator is keeping a firm eye on both the progress and the problems after a week one win. [Read more 🡒]