The Buffalo Bills enter a high-stakes Week 1 matchup on the road when they face the Houston Texans this Sunday at NRG Stadium. It will be Bills Mafia's first chance to see the 2026 team in a real game setting and evaluate how they look now that the games count.
With new head coach Joe Brady and new coordinators OC Pete Carmichael, Jr. and DC Jim Leonhard, they will bring a new look to their offensive and defensive schemes, opening up more aggression and big plays from impact players on both sides of the ball.
The Bills have struggled to defeat the Texans on the road recently. With the new coaching staff in place, certain players are under tremendous pressure to deliver this time. Let's examine four players who should step up to make it happen.
4 players who must shine in Week 1 opener
1.) S Cole Bishop
In 2024, Cole Bishop struggled in his rookie season to stay healthy and produce in the NFL. He was mostly Damar Hamlin's understudy and only made four regular-season starts. He recorded a mere 40 tackles and batted down two passes.
Luckily, 2025 was a better year for Bishop, as the 6-foot-2, 206-pound athlete became a starter for the whole regular season. He tallied 85 tackles in all, with two quarterback takedowns, seven batted balls, and three picks.
This season, he is expected to be a full-time starter again, but this time he will play in a more aggressive defense under Leonhard, a former Buffalo Bill and NFL safety. Fans will be calling for him to attack the ball with precision, inspiring excitement over increasing his interceptions after coming up with three last season.
2.) G Alec Anderson
The Bills let former starting guard David Edwards go to the New Orleans Saints in free agency for a four-year deal worth $61 million in March. In the last two seasons, Edwards made 32 starts in the regular season and was part of an offensive line that was first in the NFL in rushing yards in 2025.
Luckily, he was the only starter the Bills did not retain on their offensive line; they kept Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern, O'Cyrus Torrance, and Spencer Brown.
Alec Anderson comes in to replace Edwards, who already knows the system after spending the last two seasons as their main swing offensive lineman. While it will be tough to replace his two years of 32 starts, at least Anderson will start and make a little over $1 million salary.
The versatile guard may only be 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, but he plays with that old-school mean streak and also plays a lot bigger and stands a lot taller in the huddle than his actual size. This year, his job will be to open holes for the reigning rushing champion, James Cook, while also signaling the H-back, Jackson Hawes, and the other tight ends on the roster in 12- to 13-personnel groupings.
3.) LB Dorian Williams
Dorian Williams is returning to Buffalo in 2026 for his fourth season on his rookie contract and must prove he's worth keeping. At 6-foot-1, 228 pounds, Williams has the size and the speed to accomplish many things as a first-year starter in this 3-4 aggressive scheme.
The quick linebacker didn't get the job handed to him, as he almost lost it to rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr. Elarms-Orr played like he was Luke Kuechly throughout training camp.
Williams will likely have a short leash starting at inside linebacker opposite Terrel Bernard. If he doesn't perform well, then expect Elarms-Orr at 6-foot-2, 234 pounds to take the starting job that he felt should have been his on opening day.
4.) K Tyler Bass
Let's not make this opportunity go wide right for Tyler Bass again. Last season, the kicker missed the whole year due to a pelvic injury.
After a questionable preseason, Bass still made more of his kicks than he missed. None of the field goal attempts were from 60+ yards, where he's usually very reliable. The Bills didn't bring in any competition for him this summer. The team will enter Week 1 confident that Bass can shake off the injury and return to his 2024 form.
Everyone knows how important this Sunday's game is for the Bills and their fans, so let's hope Bass and the rest of the players are ready and prepared for the challenge.
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