The first half in Houston has played out exactly like a game built on offensive firepower, with the Texans and Bills trading blows and the scoreboard barely letting anyone breathe. Buffalo struck first in a game that was supposed to be a showcase for Houston’s defense, but the Texans answered the challenge early by forcing a turnover on downs on the opening drive.
The Bills moved the ball with two first downs on that first possession, then reached a 4th-and-short at the Texans’ 36-yard line and stayed aggressive. Houston made them pay for it, stopping Josh Allen and flipping the field on a fourth-down stand that should have brought some juice to the home sideline.
Instead, the momentum vanished almost immediately. On the second play of the Texans’ next drive, CJ Stroud was sacked and fumbled, and Buffalo cashed in by holding Houston to a field goal.
From there, the game settled into a fast, chaotic rhythm. Houston then put together a 76-yard drive in 12 plays, and after that, the scoring kept coming.
Five of the next seven possessions ended with touchdowns, and neither defense was able to fully slow the other side down. The Bills were blanked only twice in the first half, yet Houston still headed into halftime trailing by just 24-21.
That margin came with a warning label for the Texans, though. Buffalo controlled the ground game far too often, averaging 5.6 yards per carry in the half and getting two rushing touchdowns from Allen. If that part of the game keeps rolling, Houston’s defense will have its hands full.
On the Texans’ side, David Montgomery was the spark. He scored two touchdowns before halftime and accounted for 52 of Houston’s 94 rushing yards, a strong sign that the offensive line was creating movement. Stroud, outside of the fumble, looked solid, and the Texans also left points on the field when a penalty in the end zone wiped out a touchdown late in the second quarter.
For now, the game looks exactly like what the first half delivered: a shootout.
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Kayshon Boutte also offered a glimpse of what he might bring to Houston, though his first game with the Texans did not feature much production. Even after an 0-1 start, the more interesting conversation around this team is already less about the final score and more about which pieces deserve a bigger role after a Week 1 that left fans debating what stood out most. [Read more 🡒]