The Buffalo Bills hit the road this weekend to open their 2026 NFL season against the Houston Texans. NRG Stadium has been a veritable house of horrors for quarterback Josh Allen, who’s yet to win a game there in four prior attempts.
Each season brings a new version of every NFL team, so the roster Allen and the Bills battled last season will look a bit different this Sunday. Despite that, the Texans are expected to bring the same level of ferocity on defense, and an offense with plenty of firepower
on tap as led by quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Many have the Texans among this year’s elite teams in the AFC, and rightfully so. After making the playoffs last season, some see Houston’s ceiling as the Super Bowl. Buffalo gets first crack at these Texans, hoping to show them that they’re not going anywhere.
To get us ready for Sunday’s 1 p.m. EDT kickoff, I connected with Scott Barzilla of Battle Red Blog. We chatted all things Bills-Texans this week, but here we’ll focus on Houston’s side of the equation in an effort to learn something new ahead of kickoff.
Below, we touch on what’s different about the Texans this season, and who Barzilla sees as the most important addition to Houston’s team in 2026. Plus, if the Texans should find themselves short on defensive firepower, what’s the counter move, and what an opposing coach might target as a weakness of Houston’s on offense and defense.
Barzilla also clues us into what it’ll likely take for the Texans to defeat the Bills on Sunday. You can read more about all of this below, and be sure to head over to Battle Red Blog to check out my Bills-centric half of this season’s inaugural Five Questions!
1. Update us on this year’s Texans. What’s different with Houston this season?
The Texans have a few new defensive starters in Kayden McDonald and Reed Blankenship. J.D. Clowney should be a major contributor off the bench. On offense, David Montgomery is the major addition as the Texans hope to be a more ball control offense.
2. Who do you see as the most important addition to the Texans this season?
It is Montgomery. Joe Mixon gave them zero yards last season, so anything Montgomery gives them is more. In particular, he hopefully will be more effective in the red zone than Woody Marks was. More first downs and time of possession plays right into the Texans hands.
3. If Will Anderson Jr. and Kayden McDonald can’t suit up Sunday, what changes for the Texans (how do they offset those losses)?
Both players should be a go, but if they aren’t then Clowney takes over at defensive end and the Texans use a similar tackle rotation as last season on the inside. Obviously, the Texans are better with those two but they should have plenty of depth.
4. If tasked with game-planning to open the season against Houston, what might you try to exploit on offense and defense as an opposing coach?
The key to this game will be the running games on both sides. Whoever is able to make the other offense one dimensional will win. I have little faith that the Texans can move it consistently through the air. However, their pass rush could single-handedly wreck the game. Staying in front of the chains will be crucial for both teams.
5. What do the Texans have to do to defeat the Bills on Sunday?
Obviously, the same applies to the Texans. They have the added challenge of keeping Josh Allen in the pocket. If they make him beat them with his arm then it will be a great day for them. The Bills led the league in rushing yards last season, so that will be easier said than done.
My thanks to Scott Barzilla for taking time to chat Bills-Texans ahead of Sunday! Be sure to check out more of his and the rest of the team’s work over at Battle Red Blog. You can also catch up on my Bills thoughts from this conversation over at BRB.
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