‘The Bills tried to avoid the Texans’ No. 1 cornerback, Derek Stingley, during their last matchup. The receivers covered by Stingley were targeted just twice and they combined to catch one pass for 11 yards. Stingley’s presence allows Texans coach DeMeco Ryans to take some risks with his coverage plan. Houston used a single high safety on 77.8% of the snaps against Buffalo in Week 12, according to Fantasy Points Data.’
Archives for September 10, 2026
NFL Week 1 power rankings: Bills debut in Top 5; Seahawks hold top spot
‘4. Buffalo Bills. It won’t take long to learn a lot about this team with a challenging opener and short week ahead.’
‘O Canada’ is a fixture at Sabres games. Now, it’s coming to Highmark Stadium
‘Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies will do the honors prior to the start of the Bills regular-season home opener at their new $2.2 billion stadium on Sept. 17. Meanwhile, actress and singer and Bills fan Auli’i Cravalho (“Moana”) will perform the American anthem.’
Bills face rematch with defense that battered Josh Allen last year
‘They treated Allen like a pinata, sacking him eight times for 70 yards in lost yardage, both career highs for the superstar quarterback, and when they weren’t pounding him into the ground, they intercepted two of his passes, the second of which came at the Houston 9-yard-line with 18 seconds left, ending Buffalo’s last-ditch attempt to win the game.’
Joe Brady triples number of Bills captains in first season as coach
‘Quarterback Josh Allen and linebacker Terrel Bernard remain captains, but they’re joined by tight end Dawson Knox, outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, long snapper Reid Ferguson and defensive back Sam Franklin Jr. The group is evenly divided with two captains apiece on offense, defense and special teams.’
Surprise option emerges as Bills’ top punt returner for Week 1
‘It’s the clearest indication yet of where Buffalo’s wide-open competition stands after the Bills spent training camp and the preseason cycling through options.’
Bills’ injury situation shapes roster decisions ahead of season opener
‘Veteran slot receiver Khalil Shakir, who’s been out of action with a lower-body injury since Aug. 18, returned to practice on Wednesday. Rookie tackle Jude Bowry, outside linebacker Javon Solomon, and rookie safety Jalon Kilgore were also practicing. None of the three were on the field last week during the Bills’ open practices.’
Bills release first injury report, name captains in first practice ahead of opener
‘Brady wouldn’t give up anything regarding the injury status of the team’s roster, something that has been commonplace from the new head coach this offseason, but only two players did not see the practice field during the open portion of practice on Wednesday. Running back Ty Johnson, who has been out since the ‘Return of the Red & Blue’ scrimmage on Aug. 8, remained out. Additionally, defensive back Jordan Hancock also missed practice on Wednesday.’
Josh Allen, Bills have to start 2026 by banishing demons from being terrorized by the Texans
‘Josh Allen’s frustration was a summation of how the Buffalo Bills have performed in Houston over the last nine years. “What are we doing?”’
Bills don’t see cornerback concerns, express excitement with Maxwell Hairston and Davison Igbinosun
‘Two days earlier, Buffalo’s general manager and recently-promoted president of football operations traded back three times in the first round, stockpiling picks that most thought would be fodder to move up the following day. And Beane did — moving up for Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun in the second round.’
Did the Buffalo Bills just fire a shot in the ongoing Canada-U.S. trade war?
‘Reactions online to the announcement predictably were quite divided, with many fans wondering why the Bills would make a statement like this now and others pointing out how much Canadian support the team receives.’
Buffalo Bills to welcome Canadian fans with ‘O Canada’ at home opener amid Canada-U.S. trade war
‘Some Canadians have also been boycotting travel to their southern neighbour. According to a Statistics Canada report released in July, return border crossings from the United States dropped by over 25 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024. Early indications suggest that trend is continuing into this year.’
Thursday’s Houston Coverage
‘An AFC championship matchup’: How Texans view opening game against Bills (Houston Chronicle)
Exclusive: C.J. Stroud is ready to rewrite his story. Inside Texans QB’s offseason transformation (Houston Chronicle)
How Texans QB C.J. Stroud is impacted by $165M Baker Mayfield contract (The Sporting News)
Texans offense still a mystery heading into 2026 season (KPRC-TV)
The Kick From the H: Ka’imi Fairbairn’s Long History of Finishing Games (HoustonTexans.com)
Why the David Montgomery Trade Makes Woody Marks Better (HoustonTexans.com)
Week 1 Injury Report | Texans vs. Bills (HoustonTexans.com)
Bills to play Canadian national anthem before first game at controversial $2.2 billion stadium
‘While there are tensions between the U.S. and Canada over trade issues, there is history of Buffalo sports teams playing “O Canada” ahead of games no matter the opponent, and the Bills are seemingly interested in honoring that.’
Josh Allen puts aside past struggles in Houston as Bills prepare to open season at Texans
‘It’s where Allen sprained his throwing elbow a month into his rookie season — the only time he’s ever been sidelined. Houston was the site of Allen losing his playoff debut in overtime, no less, a year later. And it’s where Allen, in 2024, completed 9 of 30 attempts for a 30% completion rate that stands as the lowest of his career.’