Will Anderson Jr. didn’t dress up Sunday’s opener against the Buffalo Bills. He went straight at it.
As the Houston Texans wrapped up their preparations for the regular-season opener at Reliant Stadium, Anderson gave the matchup its sharpest label yet: a test that feels bigger than Week 1.
"This is an AFC Championship matchup," Anderson told reporters outside the locker room. "Two really good teams. We have a ton of respect for them."
That’s the kind of line that tells you exactly where Houston believes it is now. The days of merely trying to sneak into the postseason are gone.
The Texans have been to the playoffs three straight times and have fallen in the Divisional Round each time, so this is no longer about easing into September. It’s about finding out, right away, whether they can break through.
The Bills have become a familiar measuring stick. This will be the third straight season they’ve come to Reliant Stadium, and Houston has handled them the last two times. The Texans won on a walk-off field goal in 2024, then followed that with a four-point win in 2025, when Matt Burke’s defense got to Josh Allen for eight sacks.
Now comes a new season, with new questions on both sides of the ball.
Anderson enters 2026 as one of the leading candidates for NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and he and Danielle Hunter give Houston a pass-rushing pair that can change a game without extra help. That matters against Allen, who can turn broken plays into major damage if the rush doesn’t arrive on time.
On offense, the Texans are trying to settle C.J. Stroud into a new-look receiving group.
Tank Dell is starting the year on injured reserve, and Jayden Higgins is out after an ACL tear in camp. That puts more on Nico Collins, trade addition Kayshon Boutte and second-year slot option Jaylin Noel.
Houston also wants to lean on the run game. David Montgomery joins a front anchored by Pro Bowl guard Wyatt Teller and first-round rookie guard Keylan Rutledge, giving the Texans a more physical identity up front. That kind of approach should help them control the clock and keep Allen on the sideline.
So when Anderson called it an AFC Championship matchup, it wasn’t just talk. It was a snapshot of how Houston is approaching this opener: not as a warmup, but as a real barometer for what comes next.
In Other News...
Texans Frustration With Josh Allen Could Get Even Worse
Josh Allen and the Bills wasted little time setting the tone in their 2026 opener against the Texans, and Houstons defense spent much of the first half chasing the game. Allen had three touchdowns before halftime, while one of the more frustrating moments for the Texans came on a roughing-the-passer call against defensive tackle Mario Edwards after illegal contact with the quarterback.
The penalty not only moved the Bills 15 yards but also gave them an automatic first down, another reminder of how little margin there is for defenders in todays NFL. Under the leagues 2026 rulebook, roughing-the-passer flags can also lead to review and possible discipline, which leaves Houston waiting to see whether that sequence carries any further consequences beyond the damage already done on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Defense Just Got Another Reason For Concern
Houstons defense already had enough to sort through after the loss to Buffalo, and Henry TooToos exit only added to the unease. The linebacker was seen leaving the stadium with his arm in a sling, a troubling sight for a unit that has been trying to hold itself together through a difficult night.
For a Texans defense that struggled to get stops, any uncertainty around TooToo matters because depth is rarely something a team can afford to lose quietly. There is no confirmed diagnosis or return timeline yet, which leaves Houston waiting on the next update while another potential absence hangs over a group that can least afford more questions. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Loss Still Left Fans With One Heated Week 1 Debate
The Texans opened their 2026 season with a frustrating loss to the Bills, but there were still a few clear bright spots worth sorting through as the team moves on. David Montgomery powered the ground game with three touchdowns, Nico Collins again looked like the most reliable target in the passing attack with seven catches and a score, and Kamari Lassiter turned in a strong defensive effort even while leaving one big play on the table.
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 🡒]