Houston
Texans
11-6
28
FINAL
31
Buffalo
Bills
12-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Wildcard Round matchup, the Buffalo Bills held off the Houston Texans with a final score of 31-28, securing their spot in the next round of the playoffs. This closely contested game showcased the intensity of postseason football, with both teams battling for survival in the 2026 season.
Offensively, Shedeur Sanders of the Texans was a standout performer, throwing for 246 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to lead the offense under pressure. Meanwhile, James Cook III was a force on the ground for Buffalo, racking up 139 rushing yards, while Nico Collins emerged as a key target for Houston, amassing 122 receiving yards. The offensive fireworks kept fans on the edge of their seats throughout the game.
Buffalo’s defense played a crucial role in the victory, with Terrel Bernard leading the team with six total tackles and Greg Rousseau making his presence felt with two sacks. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Davison Igbinosun intercepted a crucial pass from Sanders, giving Buffalo the momentum they needed to seal the victory. The Bills’ defensive efforts proved essential in stifling the Texans and securing their advancement in the playoffs.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 28 | 18 | 64% | 246 | 3 | 2 | 98.2 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 9 | 6 | 67% | 140 | 1 | 1 | 107.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 22 | 139 | 6.3 | 17 | 3 | 40 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 3 | 43 | 14.3 | 2 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 15 | 25 | 1.7 | 18 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shedeur Sanders | QB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Marlin Klein | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tank Dell | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ray Davis | HB | 5 | -1 | -0.2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nico Collins | WR | 6 | 122 | 20.3 | 26 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 23 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Dalton Schultz | TE | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 37 | 2 | 18 | 0 |
| Tank Dell | WR | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 26 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 2 | 36 | 18.0 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 21 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 1 | 16 | 16.0 | 11 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jaylin Noel | WR | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 11 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Marlin Klein | TE | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 14 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| David Montgomery | HB | 3 | 7 | 2.3 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Anderson Jr | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Davison Igbinosun | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrel Bernard | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Byron Young | REDG | 2 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalen Pitre | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Lassiter | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dee Alford | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kamari Ramsey | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calen Bullock | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Reed Blankenship | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derek Stingley Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Azeez Al-Shaair | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Marcus Ingram | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Kilgore | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Geno Stone | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Joe Andreessen | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Elarms-Orr | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marte Mapu | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sheldon Rankins | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ka'imi Fairbairn | K | 2 | 2 | 2 | 54 |
| Tyler Bass | K | 1 | 1 | 4 | 21 |

