Former MVP Josh Allen has never left the field a winner in four visits to Houston. The Bills quarterback gets yet another chance to change that nagging fact when Buffalo opens the season on Sunday at the Texans.
Allen lost regular-season starts in Houston in each of the past two seasons and in his 2018 rookie season. The Bills built a 16-0 lead during Allen’s postseason debut in the AFC wild-card round of the 2019 playoffs, but the Texans rallied for a 22-19 overtime triumph.
Allen attempted to downplay the struggles, but the statistical evidence speaks loudly.
Last season, for example, Allen was sacked eight times for 70 yards and intercepted twice by Calen Bullock in a 23-19 setback in Houston.
“We understand what their defense is,” Allen said Wednesday. “They got after us last year. There’s no secret about it.”
In 2024, Allen was just 9-for-30 passing in a 23-20 loss in Houston.
“They’ve had some really good defenses in the past and that’s no different now,” Allen said. “Obviously, I want to play the best I can play and help our team win a football game. … They’re going to make it hard on us.”
Joe Brady, Buffalo’s offensive coordinator last season and now its head coach, said the performance was unacceptable.
“We obviously weren’t good enough,” Brady said Wednesday. “Allowed our quarterback to get hit and get touched and anytime Josh is having to get up off the ground, that’s never a good thing. It’s going to be a huge test for us this week, and it’s one our guys are excited for.”
All-Pro pass rushers Will Anderson Jr. (2 1/2 sacks) and Danielle Hunter (two) accounted for more than half the sacks in last season’s game and harassed Allen numerous other times. Bullock’s second pick came with 18 seconds left to seal it.
Hunter (15 sacks in 2025) and Anderson (12) form perhaps the top sack tandem in the league. Hunter finished third in the NFL last season and Anderson tied for eighth.
“Never seen anything like Will and Danielle, and I’m happy they’re on my side,” Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said. “It’s fun when you game-plan and you have those two guys, we can put more on those guys because they’re two of the best pass rushers in the league and everybody doesn’t have that luxury.
“We put a lot on those guys and we know teams are game-planning for those guys because if you don’t, they’re very disruptive and they can wreck a game.”
Nobody doubts the Houston defense. The doubts are reserved for fourth-year quarterback C.J. Stroud.
Stroud was a rookie standout in 2023, passing for 4,108 yards and 23 touchdowns while throwing just five interceptions. But over the past two regular seasons, the touchdown-to-interception ratio slipped to 39-to-20.
Stroud’s numbers looked even worse during last season’s playoffs, when he was intercepted five times in two games, fumbled five times (losing two) and completed just 51.9% of his passes. In the Texans’ 28-16 loss to the New England Patriots in the divisional round, he often appeared overwhelmed while being picked off four times.
The performance helped keep Stroud and the Texans from agreeing to a contract extension during the offseason, but Stroud said he welcomes the pressure.
“I’m excited. I’ve always been challenged in my career,” Stroud said. “I’ve always had to persevere through things, and I think this is something that I’m grateful for. I didn’t wake up and forget how to play football.”
Stroud was sidelined with a concussion when the Texans beat the Bills last season. Davis Mills threw two touchdown passes in his place.
Houston right tackle Trent Brown (wrist) was a full practice participant on Wednesday. Linebacker Wade Woodaz (thumb) also participated in full, but defensive tackle Kayden McDonald (ankle) was limited.
For Buffalo, running back Ty Johnson (hamstring) and defensive back Jordan Hancock (quadriceps) missed practice and defensive lineman T.J. Sanders (knee) was limited.
Overall, Buffalo has lost six straight games in Houston. The Bills last won there in 2006.
