No one would have ever assumed that the Houston Texans' defense would be the reason for a Week 1 loss, right?
Well, there's a first time for everything.
Behind a 400-plus-yard offensive performance
, including four touchdowns fromMVP Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills picked up their first road win against the Houston Texans since 2006 in a 36-31 fashion. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud fumbled twice, including on the final drive, to seal a win for Joe Brady in his first career start as a head coach.“We had multiple opportunities to make plays, had chances to make plays on the football and we didn’t make plays,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said.
Houston's offense, for the most part, impressed on Sunday after an offseason filled wth uncertanity. Stroud,
who elected to enter the year without a new contract, threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, while David Montgomery, who was traded from Detroit this offseason, had a three-TD day in his debut, becoming the first running back in franchise history to accomplish the feat.
Not only did he score two rushing touchdowns, but Stroud found him for a 7-yard reception to give Houston a 28-27 lead early in the fourth.
There were plenty of good and bad performances in this historic win. Here are the top five best and worst performers on Texans' offense for Week 1, according to Pro Football Focus:
Top 5 Offensive Players
- RB Woody Marks - 74.7
- RB David Montgomery - 72.6
- TE Marlin Klein - 72.2
- WR Nico Collins - 70.9
- OL Keylan Rutledge - 70.3
Most of the stars were role players in this game. Collins and Montgomery headline the crew because of their starting potential. The Pro Bowl receiver finished with seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown reception, while Montgomery averaged 3.0 yards per play. Still, he found the end zone three times, including one on a breakaway 18-yard scamper, so that has count for something in the eyes of the evaluators.
Rutledge was the Texans' best lineman by far. He allowed just two pressures all afternoon and graded out with an impressive 70.9 run-blocking grade. There's room for improvement, but he looked stable in his first career start going up against names like Ed Oliver and Deone Walker.
Bottom 5 Offensive Players
- OT Trent Brown - 56.1
- WR Kayshon Boutte - 56.8
- OT Blake Fisher - 60.1
- TE Dalton Schultz - 60.3
- TE Foster Moreau - 64.6
Overall, it really wasn't that bad a day for the offense. Brown allowed three pressures and two sacks, including the one that eventually forced the fumble on Stroud in the final drive. His last drive, which also resulted in a false start penalty, likely played the biggest role in his underwhelming score.
Top 5 Other Notables
- QB C.J. Stroud - 67.6
- WR Jaylin Noel - 69.3
- OT Tay Ersery - 67.1
- OL Ed Ingram - 67.8
- OL Evan Brown - 64.3
This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans PFF grades: Best, worst offensive performers in Week 1 loss to Bills
