Joe Brady’s first regular-season game as Buffalo Bills head coach ended with the kind of result every new coach wants: a win.
Buffalo held off the Houston Texans 36-31 on Sunday, giving Brady his first victory in the role and landing him in a very small club in franchise history. He became only the fourth head coach the Bills have ever had to win his regular-season debut.
The names ahead of him are notable. Marv Levy was the first, taking over in the middle of the 1986 season and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 16-12 on November 9. Levy would go on to guide Buffalo to four straight Super Bowl appearances and later earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rex Ryan was next, opening his Bills run with a 27-14 win over the Indianapolis Colts on September 13, 2015. Sean McDermott followed two years later, beating the New York Jets 21-12 on September 10, 2017.
Now Brady joins that list after being promoted in January to replace McDermott. The 36-year-old arrived at the top job after an extensive search and had already spent years inside the organization.
He first joined Buffalo as quarterbacks coach in 2022, then moved up to offensive coordinator during the 2023 season. He handled that position full time for the past two seasons before being named the 21st head coach in franchise history on Jan. 27.
The Bills have bigger goals in front of them in 2026, but Brady has already checked off the first one.
In Other News...
Bills Fans Got The DJ Moore Update They Needed
DJ Moores first game in a Bills uniform ended with a little bit of concern after he picked up an ankle injury on the final snap against the Carolina Panthers, but the early signs are encouraging for Buffalo. Head coach Joe Brady later said Moore was good to go, and the receiver was not listed on the teams injury report heading into the next matchup with the Detroit Lions.
Thats a relief for a Bills offense that already got a strong look at what Moore can add in his debut. He finished with five catches, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, giving Buffalo a clear example of the kind of impact he can make when he is on the field and available for what comes next. [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 wasnt treating it like a finished product. The final score mattered, of course, and so did the way his group responded in a game that asked for a lot early in the year, but Leonhards review also pointed to several areas that still need cleaning up as the season settles in.
One concern stood out enough to linger into the next day: inside linebacker Terrel Bernard played the full game, then showed up on the injury report afterward. For a defense that leaned on Bernard throughout the opener, any health question is worth watching closely, especially with Leonhard already focused on sharpening the details from a win that still left room for improvement. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Face A Familiar Home Opener Problem Again
Bills fans eyeing the home opener against the Detroit Lions are finding a familiar obstacle at Highmark Stadium: getting in the door is still expensive, even if the market has softened a bit from where it was four months ago. Secondary tickets are now starting around $445, which is lower than the earlier frenzy but still well beyond what many casual fans want to pay for a September game.
For some in Western New York, that kind of price tag can shift the whole equation on where to watch the team. When the home opener is this costly, the road trip starts looking like the more practical way to catch the Bills in person, especially for fans who want to see Buffalo without paying premium home-opener rates. [Read more 🡒]