The Houston Texans left Week 1 with an 0-1 record after falling to the Buffalo Bills, but the opener wasn’t a total wash for Houston. A few players gave the Texans reasons to feel better about what’s ahead, even if the final result was a disappointing one.
David Montgomery wasted no time showing why Houston brought him in from the Detroit Lions this offseason. In his Texans debut, he delivered three touchdowns, carried 20 times for 60 yards, and added three catches for 19 yards. That performance put him firmly in place as Houston’s RB1 over Woody Marks for the foreseeable future.
The ground game also offered one of the cleaner takeaways from the day, especially with the way Montgomery handled the red zone work. For a Texans offense looking to move forward from last season’s output, that was a meaningful step.
Nico Collins was just as central to the passing game. Houston and C.J.
Stroud spread the ball around to 11 different targets, but Collins still stood out as the top weapon. He finished with seven catches on 10 targets for 75 yards and found the end zone just before halftime, giving the Texans a lift heading into the break.
That kind of workload should keep Collins in a featured role every week, and he’s now on pace for his fourth straight season with more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Kamari Lassiter also turned in a performance that showed up in the box score and beyond it. He nearly came away with a game-winning interception on Josh Allen late in the fourth quarter, and while that play didn’t land, Lassiter still made his presence felt throughout the game. He finished with three tackles, a tackle for loss, and a pass defended.
On the other side of the ball, Kayshon Boutte had a quieter Texans debut than some may have expected after Houston traded for him from the New England Patriots. He did connect with Stroud on a 21-yard completion over the middle in the second half, but that was his lone catch. Xavier Hutchinson and even Jared Wayne were more involved in the passing game.
Boutte’s first outing suggested it may take a little time before he fully settles into the offense, though the Texans did get a glimpse of the kind of explosive play he can provide.
Not every veteran had the kind of afternoon Houston needed, either. Danielle Hunter, who had six combined tackles and two sacks against this Bills offensive line in 2025, didn’t register a counting stat this time around. The Texans managed just two sacks on Josh Allen as a defense, and without steady pressure, Buffalo’s offense was able to take advantage.
Reed Blankenship also had a rough start in his new home. Houston gave him a $24 million deal this offseason with the hope that he would stabilize the strong safety spot next to Calen Bullock, but he had multiple busted coverages against Buffalo.
One of the biggest came on a 43-yard pass to D.J. Moore in the second half.
The Texans know what inconsistency at safety can look like. They lived with it last season before Blankenship arrived. Now they’ll be hoping he finds his footing quickly so that investment starts to pay off.
In Other News...
Texans Leave Week 1 With A Defensive Problem They Can't Ignore
The Texans opened their 25th anniversary season with the kind of game that can energize a crowd and unsettle a coaching staff at the same time. Houston and Buffalo traded momentum in a back-and-forth matchup, but Josh Allen kept finding answers, finishing with four touchdowns as the Bills edged out a 36-31 win in a game that felt like a showcase for both offenses and a warning sign for the Texans.
For Houston, the bigger concern is what happened after the fireworks. The Texans were in position to keep the pressure on late, but C.J. Stroud was stripped by Bills linebacker Greg Rousseau in a key fourth-quarter sequence, and Allens ability to punish the Texans both through the air and on the ground made it hard to settle the game down. After a season opener built on big plays and lead changes, Houston leaves Week 1 knowing its defense has a problem it has to answer quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Defensive Line Takes An Early Hit Before Week 1
The Texans have taken an early hit on the defensive front before Week 1, placing rookie defensive tackle Kayden McDonald on injured reserve after an ankle injury. The second-round pick out of Ohio State was brought in to help strengthen Houstons interior line and was expected to have a role in the defensive tackle rotation because of his run-stopping ability.
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
The Texans wasted little time signaling how they want to handle their season opener, rolling out their Week 1 inactive list ahead of Sundays matchup with the Bills. Brevin Jordan is among the six players ruled out as he continues to recover from a knee injury, while recent roster additions Nate Thomas and Jaden Crumedy also will not be available when the teams meet at Reliant Stadium at noon CT.
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 🡒]