On Sunday afternoon, the Buffalo Bills will square off against the Houston Texans in each squad’s opening game for the 2026 NFL season. Both teams enter with high hopes for their year, just like every NFL team in September. While some of those teams may harbor unrealistic dreams of playing February football, there is a clear argument to be made that both teams playing at NRG Stadium on Sunday have a legitimate chance at representing the AFC in Super Bowl LXI on Valentine’s Day.
Buffalo has traveled
to Houston and lost in each of the last two seasons, dropping a 23-20 decision in 2024 before losing 23-19 last season. In each contest, a tenacious Houston defense prevented Buffalo’s offense from finding its footing. While Buffalo’s defense played well enough in each game, it was ultimately the Texans who were able to make enough plays, executing sound situational football to come out victorious.
If the Bills are going to reverse that trend this Sunday, they’ll need some big plays from their top contributors. Here are five Bills players to watch this week as they take on the Texans.
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WR DJ Moore
I’m going to clear the obvious right off the bat: Josh Allen is a player to watch. He is always a player to watch. I’m going to try to skip him as many times as I can this season as a result. With that in mind, though, this is the first chance that we have to see Buffalo’s newest weapon in real action, and Moore’s mere presence is likely to open so much for Allen and the Buffalo passing attack on Sunday and beyond. In last year’s matchup between these two squads, Allen found himself unable to find open receivers against a suffocating Houston defense. Moore is known for his excellent route running ability, and that route running ability makes him the obvious man-beater in the receiver room this season. Moore will have a tough matchup regardless of which corner Houston decides to use against him, but I don’t expect the Bills to anchor him to the outside and force him to fend off Derek Stingley Jr. or Kamari Lassiter exclusively. Look for head coach Joe Brady and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael Jr. to move Moore around the formation to create plus matchups for him. Sometimes, teams have to fight strength vs. strength, and while the Texans have excellent corners, Moore is an excellent receiver. Buffalo has to find ways to put the ball in his hands.
TE Dalton Kincaid
Speaking of players who need to find the football, Buffalo’s top tight end is going to play a huge part in Sunday’s matchup, and he’ll need to perform if the Bills are going to win the game. Kincaid missed last season’s matchup with an injury, and he caught just two of six targets for 34 yards in the 2024 meeting between these clubs. The Bills need their TE1 to find space in the middle of the field, and that space likely needs to come in the short-to-intermediate areas. It’s not wise for Allen to hold the ball for too long against this Texans defense, so uncovering quickly will keep him upright and keep the offense on schedule. Designing some quick looks for Kincaid early to help establish some rhythm is a good plan in the passing game, and if the Bills can run the football effectively, they may be able to use some heavier formations to allow Kincaid to slip out deep via play-action after moving the chains.
G Alec Anderson
Speaking of the running game, the offensive line is going to be a focal point this week for multiple reasons. First, Josh Allen took eight sacks in the meeting between these two teams last year, a career-high. While I think that many of those sacks were on Allen for trying to make something out of nothing, there were plenty of plays where Buffalo’s offensive line allowed near-immediate pressure. James Cook scored on a 45-yard rushing touchdown early in the game, and he totaled 116 yards on his 17 carries, so the run game worked. Can the offensive line give a better performance in pass protection while clearing space for Cook in the run game with a new configuration this season? The hope is that Anderson will slide right into the left guard spot smoothly, though departed David Edwards was one of Buffalo’s best linemen last season. Anderson is a longtime reserve who has performed well in spot duty, but Sunday will mark the first step towards what will hopefully be a fruitful next phase of his career. He has a tough task ahead of him given Houston propensity for stunts, picks, and games up front, as this defense will test the Buffalo o-line’s ability to communicate. All five of the big boys up front are keys to success, but I’ll be watching Anderson in particular this week.
DL Deone Walker
Buffalo’s new-look defense has a chance to make a big statement this weekend, and it very well could be the biggest man on the team who makes the biggest statement of all. Walker showed flashes of brilliance in his rookie season, and a change in scheme coupled with a year of experience could lead to a huge breakout for the mammoth interior lineman. Houston’s offensive line is the clear weakest link on the team, and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard will look to exploit the advantage Buffalo has up front all afternoon. Look for the Bills to move Walker around the line a bit to create positive matchups for him, but as the team’s primary nose guard, don’t be surprised when Walker controls the middle of the line and makes some big plays from arguably the most difficult spot on the field. While I think Buffalo will rotate August acquisition Greg Gaines in the middle as well, it’s primarily going to be Walker’s show in the middle. If he can take another step forward, look out, because that will give the Bills a huge advantage on Sunday.
CB Maxwell Hairston
After a summer where he fended off a legitimate challenge from rookie Davison Igbinosun on the outside, this is a perfect opportunity for Hairston to show that he belongs as the undisputed CB2 on this roster. Hairston was another rookie who showed promise last season, but he missed a ton of time due to injury and spent much of this summer injured, as well. Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud is extremely accurate when he has time to throw, and the Bills have been burned by the long ball against him in the past. Hairston has excellent speed, and while he isn’t overly physical, he is a willing tackler who isn’t afraid to mix it up in the run game. A good start on Sunday would go a long way towards solidifying a new-look Buffalo secondary.
