Buffalo Bills edge Houston Texans 36-31 behind four Josh Allen touchdowns in season opener

Josh Allen leads Buffalo to late win in Houston

Josh Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for two additional scores to guide the Buffalo Bills to a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans. Buffalo secured the win with 1:36 remaining in the fourth quarter when Allen connected with wide receiver Joshua Palmer on a 34-yard touchdown pass through two defenders. The victory marked Allen's first career triumph in Houston after losing his previous four starts at Reliant Stadium, and gave Buffalo its first road win against the Texans since 2006. The contest served as the head coaching debut for Joe Brady, who took over following Sean McDermott's dismissal after nine seasons.

“Feels good to start the season off right. Obviously, Coach Joe getting his first win as an NFL head coach... really happy for him. Called a heck of a game.”

Late turnovers decide back-and-forth contest

The matchup featured nine lead changes before Buffalo's defense halted Houston's final drive in the closing seconds. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud threw for 274 yards and two touchdowns, but Buffalo defensive end Greg Rousseau recorded his second strip-sack of the game at the Buffalo 28-yard line. Linebacker Terrel Bernard recovered the loose ball to prevent Houston from attempting a winning score. Houston had previously reclaimed a 31-30 lead with seven minutes left when Ka'imi Fairbairn kicked a 58-yard field goal, capitalizing on a strong offensive performance from running back David Montgomery. In his Houston debut following an offseason trade from Detroit, Montgomery scored three touchdowns on runs of 1 and 18 yards alongside a 7-yard reception.

Texans defense struggles after strong 2025 campaign

Houston's defensive unit returned all 11 starters from a group that led the NFL in fewest yards allowed the previous season, but yielded 409 total yards and 36 points to Buffalo. The 36 points represented Houston's highest total allowed in a game since a December 24, 2023 loss to Cleveland. Buffalo generated big gains through Dalton Kincaid, who tallied five catches for 130 yards, and DJ Moore, who caught five passes for 100 yards and a 43-yard touchdown in his team debut. Houston safety Kamari Lassiter conceded a 46-yard pass interference penalty in the first half and dropped an interception in the end zone one play before Palmer's winning touchdown.

“We've got to do a better job, especially closing out the game. It just wasn't our standard. That's not who we are. That's not who we want to be as a defense.”

High-scoring games mark NFL opening weekend

Opening weekend across the NFL produced multiple high-scoring finishes, led by the Chicago Bears defeating the Carolina Panthers 59-37. Chicago and Carolina combined for 96 points, breaking the previous opening-weekend record of 88 points established in 2018, as Caleb Williams scored four total touchdowns and D'Andre Swift rushed for 124 yards and three scores. Elsewhere, the Detroit Lions edged the New Orleans Saints 31-30 in overtime after denying a two-point conversion attempt, while the Cincinnati Bengals converted three first-half fumbles into a 33-27 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Buffalo next hosts Detroit on Thursday night to inaugurate the new Highmark Stadium, while Houston travels to Cincinnati on Sunday.

Chicago Bears59

Baltimore Ravens41

Buffalo Bills36

Jacksonville Jaguars34

Cincinnati Bengals33

Detroit Lions31

Pittsburgh Steelers20

Chicago Bears

59 points

Baltimore Ravens

41 points

Buffalo Bills

36 points

Jacksonville Jaguars

34 points

Cincinnati Bengals

33 points

Detroit Lions

31 points

Pittsburgh Steelers

20 points

Data from the article text