Bills cracked Texans' dominant defense. Takeaways from wild AFC tilt

Maybe Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. wasn't being hyperbolic after all.

The prolific pass rusher and 2025 runner-up for NFL Defensive Player of the Year set up his team's Week 1 showdown against the Buffalo Bills by saying it was an "AFC Championship matchup." That unquestionably was lofty framing for two franchises that have combined for one appearance in the game in the last five years.

Sunday's 36-31 win by the Bills, however, served as a reminder of just how formidable both Buffalo and Houston can be when at peak form. The back-and-forth affair featured eight lead changes and never seemed in hand until the very end.

Each team leaves the tilt with additional reason to believe a breakthrough could be ahead, as well as several things to work on in order to reach the conference title game stage.

Here are the key takeaways from the matchup:

A first look at the new Highmark Stadium, home of the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen

Last November, Anderson and Danielle Hunter combined for 4 ½ of the eight sacks on Josh Allen that powered the Texans' 23-19 win over the Bills. On Sunday, the league's best edge-rushing duo didn't make much of a dent until late in the fourth quarter. Anderson had just a half-sack while Hunter logged none against a front that afforded Allen plenty of time to work deep.

Offseason acquisition DJ Moore did plenty to help unlock that vertical game, with the highlight coming when he hauled in a dart down the right sideline from Allen that he then took in for a 43-yard score. He finished with five catches for 100 yards in a stellar debut for his third pro team. His presence helped compensate for a ground game that, outside of Allen's 21-yard scramble for a touchdown, couldn't find its form of last year.

The early struggles were a foreign experience for Houston. The defense had not surrendered 24 points in a half since Week 2 of 2023 – the second game of DeMeco Ryans ' tenure.

The Texans seemed to find their footing a bit more after halftime, allowing just two field goals until the final two minutes. But cornerback Kamari Lassiter couldn't secure a deep heave for a potentially game-sealing interception, and he was burned on the ensuing play by Joshua Palmer for the winning 34-yard scoring strike.

Even after Houston gave up two picks in a package to acquire David Montgomery, some wondered whether the veteran running back might end up stuck in a backfield timeshare with Woody Marks . On Sunday, the Texans reinforced just how central Montgomery is to their offensive plans.

The powerful runner notched three total touchdowns – two rushing, one receiving – and set the tone for a methodical offense with his 79 total yards on 23 touches. Montgomery also showed nice burst when he found the hole and then outraced the defense for an 18-yard score.

His output might not seem scintillating, but it helped set the tone for a unit that might be at its best playing an efficient form of keep-away. Houston converted seven of 16 third downs and held onto the ball for nearly 13 minutes more than Buffalo. And after ranking 29th in red-zone efficiency in 2025, the Texans found the end zone on four of five trips there against the Bills.

Bills' work-in-progress D eventually rattles C.J. Stroud late

New coordinator Jim Leonhard acknowledged before the season that the extensive changes he was instituting would necessitate an acclimation period for Buffalo's defense. Sunday provided a peek at just how steep that learning curve might be.

Facing a Texans team with a dearth of pass-catching weapons and an offensive front that remains under construction, the Bills surrendered 386 yards and 21 first downs. But while C.J. Stroud seldom faced pressure throughout the day, Buffalo generated two of its three sacks to mount a game-clinching stand.

After a coverage breakdown allowed the Texans to reach Buffalo's 9-yard line with 25 seconds remaining, 331-pound defensive tackle Deone Walker shook right guard Ed Ingram en route to a sack of Stroud. Two plays later, Greg Rousseau pushed around the edge to get his hands on Stroud and force a fumble, which was recovered by Terrel Bernard .

The Bills' performance suggested their defense might only go as far as the hot-and-cold pass rush takes it. There won't be much time to figure things out on the fly, either, as the home opener against the explosive Detroit Lions looms on Thursday.