Happy Victory Monday, Bills Mafia! The Buffalo Bills started off their 2026 season with a high-scoring 36-31 win over the Houston Texans. Now they will be focused on Week 2 as it is coming up in three days on Thursday Night Football against the Detroit Lions.
Even though the celebration can only be limited because of the quick turnaround, it's still important to celebrate the greatness that came out of this game. From the offensive perspective, there was a lot to like. As for the defense, while there were some bright spots, there is a ton to clean up moving forward.
Coming out of this win, there were 8 members of the Bills who shined in this win, while 4 members didn't have the best performances.
Winners and losers from Bills' big Week 1 win vs. Texans
Winners:
QB Josh Allen
The obvious top choice for the winners is none other than Josh Allen, who had 357 total yards and got into the endzone 4 different times. He was only sacked twice (as compared to 8 times last season against Houston), and his QB rating was a 130.45.
This MVP-like performance from him helped him prove doubters wrong. He looked comfortable, confident, and in control against a tough Texans team. He arguably had the best performance of any player across the NFL on Sunday.
OLB Greg Rousseau
While the defense for the Bills wasn't great, OLB Greg Rousseau adjusted very well to his new position and he made his impact. Not only did he have two sacks along with 5 QB hits, but Rousseau also had two forced fumbles, including the game-winning one late in the 4th quarter. Rousseau had always been a great run-defender, but it was great to see him shine against the pass.
WR DJ Moore
Ah yes, the player that the Bills gave up a 2nd-round pick for and caused a lot of pushback from the media. Well, I hope that the minds have changed because DJ Moore was absolutely amazing in his first game as a Bill.
He finished the game with 5 catches for 100 yards that included 43-yard touchdown grab where he caught it near the sideline, stayed in-bounds and took it to the house. He has solidified himself as the No. 1 receiver for Josh Allen on the outside, and this duo is just getting started.
TE Dalton Kincaid
A healthy Dalton Kincaid has the ceiling to become an All-Pro player if Week 1 was a preview of what's to come this season. Kincaid led the Bills with 130 yards through the air which included a clutch 35-yard catch to put the Bills in scoring position inside the two-minute warning in the 4th quarter.
If he can stay healthy for a majority of the season, Kincaid is going to continue to have big games like this throughout the season.
DT Deone Walker
Just like Greg Rousseau, Deone Walker shined on the defense with 6 total tackles to go with a sack and a tackle for loss. He plays very fast in the trenches and he dominated the line of scrimmage when the ball was near him. If he can keep working on his awareness for where the ball is going, he could also start to get into that Pro Bowl/All-Pro level.
P Tommy Doman Jr.
The rookie punter only had to punt twice on the day, but he averaged over 54 yards per punt which included a 63-yard punt. He also managed to pin the Texans inside the 20-yard line. His first punt didn't come until the third quarter.
K Tyler Bass
Tyler Bass was perfect for the Bills, going 3/3 on PATs and 3/3 on field goal tries. It's a great confidence booster for him after missing all of last season. Prior to last season, Bass was criticized for his inconsistency, so seeing him have a great day gives a lot of hope moving forward.
HC Joe Brady
Brady had a tough task to start his head coaching tenure, but he helped the Bills get their first win in Houston since the 2006 season. Not only that, but he called a great offensive gameplan against one of the best defensive units in the league. He opened up the playbook and got his big playmakers involved.
Losers:
CB Christian Benford
Bills fans usually don't see Benford fall apart in games, but when he was lined up against Nico Collins, he struggled. Collins ended his day with 75 yards and a touchdown, a lot of which Benford was lined up across from him. Now, one bad game is bound to happen for every player. At the same time, Benford's lack of production played a role in the Texans scoring 31 points.
RB James Cook
Even though Houston’s defense couldn’t stop the passing attack, they limited the Bills’ run game led by James Cook, who only had 57 yards on the ground. His longest run was just 12 yards.
It was the opposite of last year’s game where Cook rushed for over 100 yards against the Texans, but the end game result was the Texans winning, so Bills fans will gladly take this year’s outcome.
LB Kaleb Elarms-Orr
While Dorian Williams stood out against the run, rookie Kaleb Elarms-Orr didn’t make the noise that fans had hoped for. Both of these players are in the middle of an ongoing linebacker competition and Williams definitely took the step forward ahead of Elarms-Orr.
While Williams was second in total tackles for the Bills, Elarms-Orr had just two tackles on the day. Not exactly a great performance by him to be seriously considered as a starter.
DC Jim Leonhard
In his first game as the Bills’ defensive coordinator, it was not a great one for Jim Leonhard. The Texans’ offense is not known to be a high-scoring unit, so for them to score 30 points is surprising to a lot of fans.
Houston finished the game with 381 offensive yards. They also converted on 43% of their third-down conversions, and they won the time of possession by nearly 13 minutes. Leonhard didn’t adjust in the second half which almost cost the Bills the game.
Overall, Buffalo’s defense was underwhelming and Leonhard now has to evaluate the defense in a short amount of time ahead of a Thursday night primetime against a Lions team that has a phenomenal offense.
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