The Texans opened the 2026 season with a 31-36 loss to the Bills at home, but Week 1 still gave a first real look at how Houston’s offseason additions fit into the mix. Some players flashed immediately. Others looked like they need more time before the picture gets clearer.
David Montgomery was the headliner, and he delivered exactly the kind of impact Houston had in mind when it traded multiple draft picks and Juice Scruggs for him. Montgomery handled 20 carries, totaled 79 all-purpose yards, and punched in three touchdowns. If that production holds - and if he gets a little more efficient on the ground - the Texans’ rushing game is going to look a lot better than it did last season.
Rookie left guard Rutledge also turned in a strong debut, and it came in a big spot. He stepped in as a day-one starter and finished without a penalty, a sack allowed, or a quarterback hit allowed.
He gave up just two pressures, and PFF graded him as Houston’s best offensive lineman of the day with a 70.3. For a first-round pick in his first game, that’s about as clean as it gets.
At center, Brown earned the surprise starting nod and handled the job well enough. He allowed zero pressures and zero sacks on C.J.
Stroud, though his run blocking left some room for growth. PFF gave him a 60.1 run-blocking grade, but overall it still counts as a positive start.
The tight end group brought a more mixed return. Moreau opened the year second on the depth chart behind Dalton Schultz and played 44% of Houston’s offensive snaps.
He did most of his work as a blocker in heavier personnel, catching two passes for 15 yards. That role looks likely to carry into next week’s matchup with Cincinnati.
Klein, meanwhile, didn’t get much of a chance to make his mark. The rookie logged nine offensive snaps and caught one pass for 16 yards, but otherwise stayed quiet. For now, he appears to be behind Schultz, Moreau, and even Cade Stover, who had a larger snap share at 30%.
Boutte’s debut was quieter than many probably expected. He managed just one catch for 21 yards, a start that suggests it may take longer than anticipated to work him into the offense. It’s far too early to write him off, but the role was smaller than the buzz around him suggested it might be.
On defense, Clowney made the most of limited work in his first game back in a Texans uniform since 2019. He played only 20 snaps, but he was the only Houston defender to record a solo sack against Buffalo. That’s the kind of production Houston brought him in for: limited snaps, meaningful disruption when Danielle Hunter or Will Anderson aren’t on the field.
Hall saw more rotational action on the interior, playing 22 defensive snaps for a 38% share, including six pass-rush snaps. He didn’t show up in the box score with any pressures, QB hits, or sacks.
Blankenship had the roughest outing of the group, and it wasn’t close. The veteran safety was targeted seven times and gave up seven catches for 118 yards, a touchdown, and a perfect 158.3 passer rating. In a game where Josh Allen was rolling, that kind of day in the secondary stood out for all the wrong reasons.
In Other News...
Texans Just Sent A Telling Signal About Their Week 2 Offense
With Week 2 against the Bengals looming, the Texans made a small roster swap that says a fair amount about where their priorities are on offense. Houston released quarterback Mark Gronkowski from the practice squad and filled his spot with wide receiver Bryce Oliver, a move that gives the team an extra pass-catcher as it keeps working through the early part of the season.
Gronkowski had been serving as the Texans third quarterback, but the club chose to use that practice-squad spot on receiver depth instead. Oliver arrives with some NFL experience after time with the Titans and Browns practice squads, and he has appeared in 13 league games, giving Houston another option as it sorts out its week-to-week offensive support. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Johnson's C.J. Stroud Criticism Suddenly Looks Much Different
Andre Johnsons comments about C.J. Strouds body language and leadership landed like a pointed reminder from one of the franchises most respected voices, especially for a quarterback still learning how to carry a team through the grind of an NFL season. Stroud responded the way a young starter usually does when a legend speaks up: he acknowledged the critique, said he was working to manage his emotions better, and made it clear he was trying to keep his mindset positive as the Texans navigated the fallout.
What makes the whole exchange more interesting is how Stroud answered on the field in Houstons recent game against the Bills. The performance gave the Texans a different kind of evidence to weigh, since the criticism was aimed less at numbers than at presence, poise and leadership. For a team trying to build around a quarterback who already has the talent, the question now is whether the public message from Johnson becomes a useful push or just another layer of pressure on a player still defining his voice. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Johnson Just Turned Up The Pressure On C.J. Stroud
Andre Johnson is not the kind of voice the Texans can ignore. The Pro Football Hall of Famer and Ring of Honor member has long been one of the franchises most respected figures, which is why his recent comments about C.J. Stroud carry extra weight as Houston heads toward the 2026 season. On a podcast appearance, Johnson pointed to Strouds body language as a concern, arguing that it can ripple through a locker room and influence how a team performs.
It is another layer of scrutiny for Stroud, who is already under the microscope as he tries to reset the tone around the offense. Johnson specifically referenced Strouds struggles in a recent postseason game against the New England Patriots, turning what might have been a routine critique into a broader conversation about leadership and poise. For a Texans team trying to keep moving forward, the question now is whether its young quarterback can quiet the noise and answer a Hall of Fame alums challenge. [Read more 🡒]