There is a very good chance that the start of the Joe Brady era will begin on a low-note for the Buffalo Bills. While you never want to doubt your favorite team, the fact that the NFL scheduled the Bills to open their season down in Houston against a Texans team that has had their number is not helpful at all.
In a close 23-19 battle last year, it didn’t feel like the game was close at all since Houston’s defense was constantly chasing Josh Allen. Now they will get the chance to try and do it again in Week 1 which could be a rough scene for Bills fans.
Now, it’s a good thing for the Bills to face the Texans early on because they not only don’t have to worry about them later on in the season, but they will get to know exactly what kind of team they will be moving forward. The only issue is because of how great the Texans defense is, and the pressure that is on C.J. Stroud, Houston could very well be one of the top teams overall in the entire NFL. Could the Bills be in big trouble in Week 1? Possibly.
Early Texans prediction puts Bills in potential tough Week 1 spot
Ben Solak from ESPN put together 10 predictions heading into the 2026 season and one of the predictions is the Texans winning the AFC overall, which would mean that the Bills would once again miss out on reaching the Super Bowl.
"It's hard to get my head around the potential of the Texans' defense in 2026. This isn't a defense that opposing offenses can solve in an offseason, either. They run a basic menu of coverages and don't try to hide their hand much. It's not a sneaky schemed-up system with yet-undiscovered weak points. The Texans are just bigger and faster and more talented than you, and if that ever stops working, they hit unbelievably hard." said Solak.
"The Texans are absolutely capable of authoring a 2025 Seahawks-esque season, and we know where that ends up. The loaded AFC makes such a route harder, but the Texans' offense also has a ceiling higher than what the 2025 Seahawks offense reached." Solak added.
Now, obviously Week 1 doesn’t tell who is going to be the best team in each conference because there is so much that can happen, for good or for worse. However, the Texans really do have the overall talent to make a true run at the AFC if Stroud can step up his game, and the Bills are the first team in Houston’s way.
I don’t believe that Houston is going to win the AFC, but I certainly believe that if the Bills have to play the Texans more than once this season, then Buffalo could easily get their hearts broken.
Add us as a preferred source on Google