They said Josh Allen couldn’t play in Houston, he couldn’t win in Houston, he hasn’t done good in Houston. We heard it all week. Well, what happened today? Allen balled out in Houston with four total touchdowns, and the Buffalo Bills walked away with a statement win to open the 2026 season against the Texans and their top-ranked defense.

It was as thrilling of a season-opener as you can get for the start of the Buffalo Bills Joe Brady Era. Of course, there are things for Buffalo to clean up as you would expect. But there was a lot of good today. A lot of stuff that they can build on. And most importantly, no matter how it looks, they got the dub. 

Here are the five standouts that I saw today from the Bills opener against the Texans. 

Josh Allen sets the tone in the Joe Brady era

Start with the man himself. Allen went 20-of-29, 334 yards through the air for two touchdown passes and a passer rating of 130.5. Oh, and he rushed for two more scores. It was phenomenal. The first game in the Joe Brady era, and those two looked like their chemistry was still on point. Buffalo was firing on all cylinders on offense against a Houston defense that was the best in the league last season. 

Allen carved them up all day long. That’s not something you can just brush aside. Especially considering the national talk of Allen’s struggles in Houston over the years. 

You have to imagine that this performance meant a lot to him. 

Dalton Kincaid and DJ Moore deliver as Allen’s top targets

Now, I have two more offensive winners which come from the pass-catching group who made life easy for their quarterback today. 

Dalton Kincaid led the team with 130 receiving yards on five catches, as he was targeted six times. For a tight end to put up 130 yards, that takes a special performance. He had a great one-on-one catch on a deep ball down the field on an extended play, and this dude is such a weapon for Buffalo to have. He is almost like a wide receiver out there. 

When I watch him, he reminds me of a prime Travis Kelce. I’m not comparing him directly, and I’m not saying he is that, but the similarities are there in multiple ways. Good route running, good run after the catch, a feel for getting open and making tough contested plays. Allen showed a lot of trust in him, and Kincaid delivered.

Then we have to talk about the new “WR1” in town, DJ Moore. Five catches for exactly 100 yards and a touchdown in his Bills debut. He was phenomenal. That sideline grab turned into a touchdown near the end of the first half was incredible. Moore is clearly the Bills’ top weapon on the perimeter. He showed it today. Against a secondary that has some lockdown corners, I might add. 

If he and Allen can keep playing like this together, it’s going to be special. We saw what Josh Allen was able to do with a guy like Stefon Diggs. He can make it work with Moore as well. 

Deone Walker and Greg Rosseau wreak havoc

On defense, look, I know Houston put up some yards. It 100% needs to be cleaned up. But two guys on the defensive line stood out in a big way.

Deone Walker is a guy a lot of people know needs to step up for Buffalo and take on an expanded role this year. In the first game of his second season, he certainly answered the bell. Six tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss. The Texans could not block him one-on-one, which greatly helped out the Bills.

Houston does not have the best offensive line, and Walker made sure to take advantage. His presence was felt all afternoon.

And then there’s Greg Rousseau. Two sacks, including the strip sack that essentially ended it, plus two tackles for loss. He was flying off the edge with a vengeance. He played a huge part in getting after CJ Stroud and making him uncomfortable at times. 

Those two guys on Buffalo’s defensive front helped seal this game. They deserve a ton of credit on a day that will certainly highlight the offense. When a team puts up 31 points on you, it’s hard to expect a ton of credit to go the defense’s way. Nonetheless, they both deserve it. 

Obviously there’s still stuff to clean up on defense. But when your pass rush is doing that to a team with the talent Houston has, you’re in a good spot. The Bills opened the season with a statement, and I think this team is going to be a problem all year long.

The Bills move forward

The home opener on Thursday night awaits for the Buffalo Bills as they host the Detroit Lions at the new Highmark Stadium. It’s a tough early season slate for Buffalo who also faces the Chargers, Patriots and Rams in the coming weeks. 

They will be battle-tested quickly during this 2026 season. But if today is any indication, they are certainly up to the challenge. The Texans tried all they could, but Josh Allen and the Bills were too much to overcome.