Buffalo
Bills
0-0
28
FINAL
45
Houston
Texans
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn an explosive season opener, the Houston Texans triumphed over the Buffalo Bills, securing a 45-28 victory in Week 1 of the 2026 season. With both teams looking to set the tone for the year, the Texans showcased their offensive firepower and defensive prowess, making an early statement in the AFC.
C.J. Stroud was the star of the night for Houston, throwing for an impressive 405 yards and tossing five touchdown passes, establishing himself as a force to be reckoned with this season. Terry McLaurin was his primary target, racking up 138 receiving yards, while the Texans' ground game was complemented by a solid performance from their offensive line. Meanwhile, James Cook III led the Bills with 119 rushing yards, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with Houston's high-octane offense.
Defensively, the Texans made critical plays that shifted momentum in their favor. Will Anderson Jr. registered two sacks, constantly pressuring the Bills' quarterback, while Kamari Lassiter's three interceptions proved to be game-changing. The turning point came in the second quarter when Lassiter picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown, giving Houston a commanding lead that Buffalo could never recover from.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 25 | 17 | 68% | 405 | 5 | 2 | 117.0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 28 | 18 | 64% | 264 | 3 | 3 | 91.0 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 11 | 119 | 10.8 | 16 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Brashard Smith | HB | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | 6 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| C.J. Stroud | QB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keon Coleman | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terry McLaurin | WR | 5 | 138 | 27.6 | 50 | 2 | 60 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 4 | 110 | 27.5 | 36 | 1 | 51 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 6 | 105 | 17.5 | 90 | 2 | 63 | 1 |
| Nico Collins | WR | 3 | 93 | 31.0 | 50 | 2 | 65 | 0 |
| Keon Coleman | WR | 3 | 67 | 22.3 | 29 | 1 | 30 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 2 | 46 | 23.0 | 14 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 3 | 40 | 13.3 | 15 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 1 | 0 | 18 | 1 |
| Brashard Smith | HB | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 22 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| DJ Moore | WR | 2 | 23 | 11.5 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 1 | -5 | -5.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Blankenship | SS | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Dee Alford | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bradley Chubb | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Burns | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Marcus Ingram | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Hancock | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Davison Igbinosun | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamal Hill | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 43 |
| Mitch Wishnowsky | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

