As Bills Mafia looks forward to another exciting season of Buffalo Bills football, they hope their Bills deliver a different outcome than in the last two seasons against the Houston Texans. The Texans seem to have the Bills' number every time they face off, and fans want to see a different outcome this time.
But this year, with a new head coach and a new defensive coordinator who brings a more aggressive scheme, hopefully the team will leave the Lone Star State with a huge Week 1 victory. There will be many key matchups that will determine the outcome, so let's examine which team wins each battle to start the season 1-0.
Key matchups that could change outcome of Week 1 showdown
1.) Outstanding quarterback contest
Week 1's matchup is headlined by two solid quarterbacks looking to generate excitement among the fans in the stadium. The Bills will be led by 2024 MVP Josh Allen, who wants to show that this is the year he and the Bills want to win their first Super Bowl title in franchise history.
Meanwhile, the Texans will welcome back C.J. Stroud, who did not see any game action last year in Houston's 23-19 win over Buffalo. Stroud is looking to rewrite the script by staying healthy all year and finally helping the Texans win in the playoffs.
Last year, Allen threw for 3,731 yards, with 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, while adding 14 rushing TDs. Meanwhile, Stroud threw for 3,041 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns and 8 interceptions
On paper, the game favors Allen to finally end their 2-game losing streak in Houston, while Stroud wants to prove he is, once and for all, back to his 2023 form when he won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
2.) Will Anderson Jr. vs. Bills' offensive line
In last year's contest, not only was it a tough loss for the Bills, but the offensive line faced a tough challenge, with tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown having their worst performances of the year that day, as Will Anderson Jr. tore it up and chased Allen around all game long.
Make no mistake, Houston's defense has been historically great under head coach DeMeco Ryans, but if they had Jim Leonhard as the Bills' DC last year, he would have had his defense punch right back, and things may have been entirely different.
That could happen this year, but here's a crazy idea: let's have Dawkins and Williams not let Anderson get through the hole this year, and let's run the ball at him with the reigning rushing champ James Cook.
3.) David Montgomery vs. Bills' defensive line
Let's not sugarcoat it: the Bills' run defense was an Achilles' heel last year, as was their tackling. Despite losing last year's game 23-19, the Bills actually contained Houston running back Woody Marks, holding him to just 74 yards on 16 carries and no rushing scores.
This year, though, Marks will be the backup as David Montgomery takes over the starting duties, facing a defense that seemed to tackle and stop the run much better in the preseason. Also, the Bills really didn't show what they will be aiming to scheme in Week 1.
If the Bills improve at stopping Houston's rushing attack this year, and Allen stays upright, they could be looking at a different result, since the third time is usually the charm.
4.) Buffalo's wide receiving core against Houston's defense
Last year, the only Bills receiver who actually performed well despite the loss was the reliable Khalil Shakir. Shakir wowed the National Thursday Night audience with 110 receiving yards on 8 catches, but failed to reach the end zone.
This year, the Bills have a more diverse selection of five receivers they can go to, including free-agent trade acquisition D.J. Moore. The mobile receiver has totaled four 1,000-yard seasons in his career, and he hopes to break 1,500 yards with the Bills to become the first Bills wide receiver since Stefon Diggs in 2023 to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards.
Another way to improve the Bills' receiving core is to include Shakir, since the Bills kept four tight ends on the roster and decided to forgo a fullback. This means that the extra tight end can help open up the passing game by having Allen throw to Moore and Shakir for more targets, while also relying on 12- and 13-personnel groupings or lining up Jackson Hawes as an H-back in those heavy sets.
Overall, if the Bills do all the things mentioned above, they should be able to come out of Houston with a nice, low-scoring 17-13 win on Sunday.
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