Who would have thought that the Houston Texans' offense would be the story for all the right reasons?
And the Texans' defense would be it for all the wrong ones.
Behind an MVP performance from Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills rattled off 36 points en route to their first win over the Texans at Reliant Stadium since 2006. Allen, who threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining, also threw another touchdown pass to D.J. Moore in the third quarter and scored twice with his legs in the second and third quarters.
Houston, which featured the No. 1 defense a season ago, only recorded two sacks and four tackles for loss. Last season, the Texans rattled Allen, forcing three turnovers, with eight sacks to set the tone in a 23-19 win.
But even after giving up over 360 yards of offense, the defense nearly ended the game with over 90 seconds left. Right before the touchdown pass to Palmer, Allen was nearly intercepted by Pro Bowl cornerback Kamari Lassiter, who got his hands on a pass from Allen in the end zone but couldn't complete the interception.
On to Week 2. pic.twitter.com/KvcjyiVTLu
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 13, 2026
On the ensuing drive, C.J. Stroud was stripped-sacked for the second time by Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau, with linebacker Terrel Bernard recovering the fumble with eight seconds remaining. Rousseau also stripped-sack Stroud on the third play of the drive to set up a Tyler Bass field goal in the first quarter.
While far from perfect, Stroud made plays. He threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns and also connected with Nico Collins for a 12-yard touchdown before halftime.
The run game was lively for the first time since 2024 in Houston. Newcomer Davis Montgomery had two touchdown runs and finished with 60 rushing yards. He also caught an 8-yard pass from Stroud in the third quarter to give Houston the lead.
In D-MO we trust
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) September 13, 2026
📺: @nfloncbs | @paramountplus pic.twitter.com/GbRLno9sKS
But the Bills wouldn't go away quietly. They capitalized on several penalties to keep drives alive, including a pass interference call on Lassiter in the end zone to set up Allen's 1-yard touchdown run. Another penalty in the second quarter helped set up a D.J. Moore 43-yard score to extend the lead to 10.
The Texans responded. They eventually took the lead in the fourth quarter. And after giving it up, Stroud did enough to drive into field goal range for a 58-yard field goal, giving Houston a 1-point lead with seven minutes remaining.
MOORE OF THIS PLZ‼️@JoshAllenQB x @idjmoore
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) September 13, 2026
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/SHEQkBZHs1
Most time fans see that, they know the defense will deliver in a critical moment to seal a win.
But again, most times isn't always 100 percent.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Recap: Texans struggle late following Josh Allen TD, Bills win in Houston for first time since 2006
