Houston
Texans
14-3
38
FINAL
9
Buffalo
Bills
8-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Wildcard Round matchup, the Houston Texans topped the Buffalo Bills 38-9, advancing in the 2026 postseason. The Texans delivered a dominant performance, showcasing their offensive prowess while the Bills struggled to keep pace on both sides of the ball.
C.J. Stroud was the standout performer for Houston, throwing for 4 touchdowns and leading the Texans' high-octane offense. Meanwhile, Buffalo's Josh Allen managed 186 passing yards but was unable to find the end zone, while James Cook III provided some spark for the Bills with 126 receiving yards, though it wasn't enough to mount a comeback.
Defensively, the Texans made crucial plays to stifle Buffalo's efforts. Kamari Lassiter's two interceptions proved to be game-changers, halting any momentum the Bills attempted to build. The turning point came early in the second half when Stroud connected for his third touchdown pass, widening the gap and leaving the Bills scrambling to recover.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Allen | QB | 14 | 9 | 64% | 186 | 1 | 3 | 91.9 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 19 | 12 | 63% | 176 | 4 | 0 | 132.8 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 10 | 43 | 4.3 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Brashard Smith | HB | 4 | 24 | 6.0 | 6 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 4 | 126 | 31.5 | 105 | 1 | 60 | 0 |
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 4 | 102 | 25.5 | 31 | 2 | 59 | 0 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 4 | 53 | 13.3 | 21 | 1 | 23 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 12 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 4 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Keon Coleman | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | — | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Brashard Smith | HB | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamal Hill | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Burns | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Blankenship | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Alford | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davison Igbinosun | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 47 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 1 | 1 | 0 | 21 |
| Mitch Wishnowsky | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

