The Houston Texans opened their 25th anniversary season with a heavyweight matchup, and it turned into a full-blown shootout against the Buffalo Bills.
C.J. Stroud and Josh Allen traded blows all afternoon, but Houston’s defense had no answer for Allen or the Bills offense in a 36-31 loss. Buffalo piled up more than 400 yards of total offense, and Allen accounted for four touchdowns himself - two through the air and two on the ground.
Buffalo struck first after Stroud fumbled at Houston’s 32-yard line, setting up a 46-yard Tyler Bass field goal for a 3-0 lead. Houston answered with a sharp 12-play, 76-yard march, finished when David Montgomery punched in a goal line rushing score to put the Texans ahead 7-3.
The second quarter was where things really opened up.
Allen got Buffalo moving with his first rushing touchdown against the Texans, breaking free from Houston’s 21-yard line and cruising in from 21 yards out. Montgomery answered with his second touchdown of the day, an 18-yard run that came right after another Bills holding call.
But Buffalo kept coming. A 46-yard defensive pass interference penalty on Kamari Lassiter helped set up Allen’s tush push score, and on the very next possession the Bills turned a three-play, 96-yard drive into another touchdown when D.J.
Moore hauled in a 43-yard pass after Reed Blankenship missed on an interception chance.
Stroud kept Houston alive with a clean two-minute drill, finishing a four-play, 86-yard drive with a 12-yard touchdown to Nico Collins.
Buffalo took a 27-21 lead into the fourth after Bass drilled a 34-yard field goal, with Houston’s defense again handing the Bills extra yards through penalties.
Then the Texans answered again. Stroud found Montgomery on a wide-open seven-yard touchdown to cap a 13-play, 72-yard drive, giving Houston a 28-27 edge. Buffalo needed just one more answer, and Bass delivered a 33-yard field goal to swing the lead back to the Bills at 30-28.
Houston briefly moved back in front when Ka’imi Fairbairn hit a 58-yard field goal from Buffalo’s 39-yard line, making it 31-30. But Allen wasn’t done. He connected with Bills wide receiver James Palmer on a 34-yard touchdown strike to push Buffalo ahead 36-31, though the two-point try failed.
The Texans still had one last chance, but it ended with Stroud getting strip-sacked by Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau on 3rd & Goal with 16 seconds left. Buffalo held on, and Houston walked away from a wild opener with a defense that simply couldn’t get the stop it needed.
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Texans Defensive Line Takes An Early Hit Before Week 1
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McDonald will now miss at least the first four games of the season, a setback for a player the Texans had penciled in as part of their early defensive plans. The injury is not season-ending, and Houston does have depth at the position to absorb the absence, but it still removes one of the teams most intriguing young additions from the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Send An Early Message With Week 1 Inactive Decisions
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For Houston, the early inactive decisions are the first real glimpse at how the roster is being managed heading into the opener and which depth pieces are still working their way into the mix. With Buffalo already knowing who it can and cannot count on, the Texans will now try to sort through those absences and still set the tone in front of a home crowd. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Backfield Uncertainty Could Change Texans Week 1 Matchup
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Frank Gore Jr. could be the next man up if the Bills need another running back on the active roster. The practice squad back has limited NFL experience, but his potential elevation would give Buffalo some added depth for a matchup in which every healthy body matters, and it would also give the Texans one more offensive wrinkle to account for in the opener. [Read more 🡒]