For the second season in a row, the Houston Texans have dropped their season opener. This one was a heartbreaker. The Buffalo Bills and the Texans traded scores throughout most of the game. It came down to the final drive of the game.
Houston got all the way down to the Bills' 9-yard line until quarterback C.J. Stroud got sacked on first-and-goal to back them up to the 18-yard line.
After an incomplete pass on second down, Stroud was strip-sacked on third down. Buffalo recovered the fumble to end the game in a 36-31 win, marking its first victory in Houston since 2006.
Here are the studs and duds of the Texans’ season-opening loss to the Bills.
STUD - RB David Montgomery
He may have only had 60 rushing yards in his debut with Houston, but he was the heart of this offense.
Montgomery, the Texans' new lead back, finished Sunday afternoon with three touchdowns - two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown.
Houston is not competitive in this game without Montgomery. He proved why the Texans traded for him in the offseason and was definitely worth the fourth-and seventh-round picks that it cost to get him out of Detroit and into a Texans' uniform.
"David did an outstanding job today and David doesn't do a great job without talking about the offensive line," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. "I thought those guys controlled the line of scrimmage really well, especially in those short-yardage critical situations.
COUNT 'EM 🗣️ That's three TDs for David Montgomery!
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It is clear Montgomery is going to be a key part of the offense this season.
STUD - WR Xavier Hutchinson
Nico Collins may have been the top receiver for the Texans in this game, but Hutchison was still a key part of the offensive game plan. He was targeted six times, although he only had three receptions for 32 yards.
After Houston traded for Kayshon Boutte, it was unclear how that would affect Hutchinson’s role in the offense. But, despite only catching 50 percent of the passes that came his way, it is clear that Boutte is not going to make Hutchinson an irrelevant piece in the offense.
STUD - QB C.J. Stroud
It came out before this game that the Texans and Stroud had tabled talks about a contract extension until after this season. No, Stroud didn't win, but the game showed he had improved in his decision-making, timing on passes and delivery downfield. He threw two touchdown passes and completed over 60 percent of his passes.
Now, it wasn't all good. Stroud had two fumbles in this game, including the costly strip-sack at the end of the game to seal it, though one could say the final sack was on the offensive line, losing its juice. He wasn't the reason the Texans lost, but the former No. 2 pick certainly played into the outcome.
"C.J. was very much in control of the entire game," Ryans said. "He took what the defense gave him. He made great decisions with the football. I'm proud of the way he played today. Thought he showed what he's been showing all camp.
It’s not like Stroud is going to get benched or anything this season, but it is possible Houston could decide to move on from Stroud if he keeps these turnovers up.
DUD - S Reed Blankenship
Blankenship came to the Houston Texans to get back to what he used to be in 2024 with the Philadelphia Eagles. In his first game with Houston, he had a fine day with seven tackles, including four solo tackles, but it was his coverage skills that put Houston in a terrible position defensively. He got burned in the second quarter when he tried to intercept the ball and it resulted in a 43-yard touchdown for Bills receiver DJ Moore instead.
That will be a learning moment for him, but that lone score played a role in the outcome. He'll need to put it in the past before taking on Cincinnati next week at home.
DUD - WR Kayshon Boutte
After getting traded from the New England Patriots to the Texans, it seemed like Boutte was going to have a bigger role in the offense. That did not happen. Boutte was only targeted twice and had one reception for 21 yards.
Maybe he just seems to be building his chemistry with Stroud early on, since he has not been with the team from the start of training camp. Still, on a day when Houston scored 31 points, you would have thought Boutte might get more action.
DUD - DE Danielle Hunter
This was not the best day for Houston’s defense overall, giving up 36 points and over 400 yards to the Bills. However, Hunter did little to contribute. He did not have a sack; he did not even record a tackle and had a pass breakup at the line of scrimmage on third down.
Meanwhile, Will Anderson got 0.5 sacks and Jadeveon Clowney had his first sack since returning to the Texans. Hunter is coming off a season where he had 54 tackles and 15 sacks, but this is not a good start to his eleventh season in the NFL. One bad game, however, should make it seem as if he's regressed.
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Studs and Duds from the Texans’ season-opening loss to the Bills
