Josh Allen finally overcame Texans in Houston, leading Bills to dramatic last-minute victory

Josh Allen had the ball with a chance to force overtime or win in his previous two games against the Texans in Houston . Both times, he and the Bills came up short in close losses.

In Week 1 against his familiar foe, in a stadium he'd lost all four games he's played in his career, Allen was determined to end that streak.

In a matchup of expected AFC heavyweights, the Bills beat the Texans, 36-31, as Allen and the Bills drove 96 yards in just over 90 seconds to take the lead with 1:36 remaining. Allen hit Joshua Palmer — on his only catch of the game — for a 34-yard TD strike.

Allen overcame near disaster when he threw a ball up for grabs late, and the Texans' Kwame Lassiter dropped it in the end zone. One play later, Palmer beat Lassiter for the touchdown.

Buffalo's defense, which was on its heels most of the game, came up with the big stop on the final possession, sacking C.J. Stroud twice — and recovering his fumble on the second one.

Allen finished the game 20-of-29 passing for 334 yards and two scores. He also ran for two first-half TDs, including a wild, 21-yard scramble late in the second quarter.

D.J. Moore had five catches for 100 yards and a TD in his Bills debut, and tight end Dalton Kincaid had a career-high 130 yards on five catches.

Throw out a 40-0 win by the Bills against a Texans team that went 4-13 in 2021, and Allen had struggled badly in his career against the Texans, with the Bills losing all four of their games in Houston.

The first two meetings came early in Allen's career, including his playoff debut. Allen hadn't yet become the superstar we know him to be. Both were excusable losses.

The last two, in 2024 and 2025, were tough losses. Allen had the ball in both games with a chance to tie and force overtime or win. The Bills came up short in both. Allen didn't play well in either, completing 9-of-31 passes in the first one and taking eight sacks and throwing two picks in the second.

Allen wasn't perfect Sunday, but he was close. Considering the opponent, it was a marquee showing.

The Bills turned the ball over on downs on their first possession, with Allen stuffed on a fourth-down run, and they settled for a field goal (after a turnover deep in Houston territory) on their second. But the Bills finished out the half with three straight TD drives and took the lead into halftime.

The Texans kept storming back, taking the lead twice in the fourth quarter in a game that featured eight lead changes. Allen led scoring drives after both to deliver a signature victory for a Bills team that — like the Texans — harbor legitimate Super Bowl belief this season.

This Texans defense entered this season with the reputation of being a top-three unit in the NFL — their unquestioned superpower. Allen ripped through them most of the game Sunday in Joe Brady's debut as head coach.

Moore wasn't targeted until there were less than five minutes left in the first half, but he had a productive day, which included drawing a 46-yard defensive pass interference call that set up Allen's second rushing TD.

But the most promising development was Kincaid having a career day. He hauled in receptions of 35, 38 and 40 yards — all massive receptions that helped fuel Bills scoring drives.

The 2023 first-rounder had been a disappointment to this point on the whole, especially when it came to injuries. He missed a combined nine games then past two seasons and reportedly played through a PCL injury last season that clearly limited him.

If Allen has a healthy Kincaid available this season, it could add an extra dimension to an offense that had lacked downfield prowess. On Sunday, Allen completed five passes for 34 yards or longer. Doing it against an elite defense spoke volumes.