4.) Houston Texans
Buffalo will head on the road to take on a Houston Texans team that has found their franchise quarterback in C.J. Stroud and potential franchise coach in DeMeco Ryans. The Texans, who held the second pick in the 2023 NFL draft (taking Stroud) won the AFC South division in the last week of the regular season. Houston finished the season going 10-7, then defeating the Cleveland Browns in a beatdown, 45-14 before being outscored 24-0 in the second half against the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round, losing 34-10.
Nonetheless, the Texans are ahead on their timeline in terms of a rebuild. They have the rising star quarterback, a premier edge rusher in Will Anderson, and a coach that players play hard for. The biggest factor about the Texans is that they did not even have rookie wideout Tank Dell in the second half of the season so this Texans’ offense should be able to get back to what they were in the first half of the season. Buffalo will have to prepare for a quarterback who played like a veteran in his rookie season, and who has not even had a serious number one target on the outside.