‘Brady’s reluctance to provide pretty much any insight on injuries was in line with his modus operandi throughout the summer. The first-year head coach has been less than forthcoming with any and all injury updates, believing his decision to keep that information close to the vest will give his team some sort of an advantage over its opponents, however slim it may be.’
Archives for September 11, 2026
Bills notebook: Leonhard to coach from field; starting battles continue
‘Jim Leonhard has made his decision. He’ll coach from the field on Sunday in Houston. The Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator saw benefits to calling plays both on the field and in the box, but he ultimately decided that the energy and excitement from being around the players would better help him.’
Bills believe they’ve solved a major weakness. Texans will find out
‘The Texans have a strong 1-2 running back duo in second-year man Woody Marks and former Bears and Lions standout David Montgomery, whom they acquired in a March trade In a game where Buffalo’s offense will probably be hard-pressed to score more than 20 points against Houston’s elite defense, the more opportunities it gets the better.’
Bills have a new No. 2 cornerback. He’s switching his jersey to No. 1
‘Hairston wore No. 31 throughout his rookie season and during training camp this summer. No. 1 had belonged to wide receiver Mecole Hardman during training camp and the preseason before the Bills released him during roster cuts.’
Bills’ Spencer Brown on facing Texans again: ‘For me personally, it can’t get much worse’
‘Brown remembers how dominant the Texans were in their pursuit of Allen in 2025. According to Pro Football Focus, Houston pressured Allen on 33 of his 46 dropbacks. The Bills lost a close game, 23-19. Brown allowed seven of those pressures, and left tackle Dion Dawkins gave up six. “Well, for me personally, it can’t get much worse,” Brown said. “So I’m pretty excited to go back down there and hopefully walk out with both my shoulders intact.”’
Goo Goo Dolls wanted Bills home opener halftime show, now pitch Thanksgiving performance vs. Chiefs
‘One member of the band went as far as to say that they would have gladly done the halftime show on Thursday Night Football when the Bills host the Detroit Lions. In an appearance on WKBW-TV with Ed Drantch, Robby Takac said they had discussions about playing on September 17. “Without causing any trouble, we were talking to some folks, but it just kind of never materialized,” Takac told Drantch. “I hope it turns out great for them, and I hope they ask us to do something else.”’
New-look Bills defense seeking to cultivate a new culture of aggressiveness
‘“If everything is very structured and guys are afraid to make mistakes or try new things, you’re not going to see that personality come out on game day,” Leonhard told GNN Sports. “… If you’re an aggressive and attack style of defense and players know that you’re going to give them freedom to be aggressive and you’re going to teach players how to play off of them, you’re going to get the best out of them.”’
Bills special teams ace Sam Franklin Jr. went from unwanted to team captain within a year
‘“I feel like last year was the most consistent thing that I had last year in my life,” Franklin said. “This year, that’s what I just plan on doing. Being consistent with the guys around me, making sure that I show up the same every day and every week for practice and games.”’
O Canada to be performed at Buffalo Bills home opener amid Canada-U.S. trade war
‘“For the first time in Highmark Stadium history, we will celebrate the American and Canadian anthems during pregame,” the Buffalo Bills shared on X Wednesday, highlighting Canada’s Barenaked Ladies as performers for the latter.’
Josh Allen vs. the Texans: Houston has been house of horrors for Buffalo Bills’ star QB
‘It’s been a fascinating game within the game, with the Bills’ star quarterback recording his worst single-game passer rating of the season against the Texans in each of the past two years. Reliant Stadium has been a house of horrors for Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP and one of the league’s most dynamic players. Counting the postseason, the Bills are 0-4 in his four starts in Houston, with only one touchdown pass to two interceptions with a 66.13 QB rating (his career average is 94.4).’
Friday’s Houston Coverage
Marlin Klein’s NFL debut with the Texans takes him back to where it all began (Houston Chronicle)
Josh Allen vs. the Texans: Houston has been house of horrors for Bills’ star QB (Houston Chronicle)
Entering critical season, Texans prep for Bills (Victoria Advocate)
Will Anderson Jr., Danielle Hunter and the Blueprint Buffalo Has to Answer Sunday (HoustonTexans.com)
Last Matchup: Calen Bullock’s Night Against Buffalo Was One John Harris Won’t Forget (HoustonTexans.com)
Week 1 Injury Report | Texans vs. Bills (HoustonTexans.com)
Bills QB Josh Allen seeks to end 0-4 skid in Houston as Joe Brady debuts as Buffalo head coach
‘Playing without quarterback C.J. Stroud, Houston got a 23-19 win last November with a suffocating defensive performance. The Texans tied a franchise record by sacking Allen a career-high eight times with 4½ coming from Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Calen Bullock forced three turnovers, picking off Allen twice, with the last one sealing the victory with 24 seconds left.’
Houston house of horrors: Why Josh Allen has struggled vs. Texans’ turbo-charged defense
‘Since Houston can keep Allen trapped in the pocket with its front four alone, it doesn’t have to sacrifice resources in coverage. Thirteen of the 15 pressures and seven of the eight sacks the Texans racked up on Allen in 2025 came when sending four or fewer pass rushers, per NFL Pro. Houston didn’t blitz a single play against Allen in their 23-19 victory in Week 12 last season. Not blitzing allowed the Texans to use man coverage on 42.2% of their dropbacks against Allen that night, their second-highest rate in a game last season, per NFL Pro.’
Buffalo’s new coordinators getting their first chances with the Bills
‘Carmichael watched last year’s game with Brady and the new O.C. thinks they’ll have it figured out this time, “We all sat down as an offense and we watched all the film and it’s what are some of the things that they did that have to be better and I think we’re confident in the plan that we’ll put together and make sure we’re putting our players in a position to be successful.”’
Jordan Hancock returns, but Ty Johnson still out
‘Hancock is primarily a backup nickel cornerback, but also offers flexibility at safety, if needed. He missed Wednesday’s practice with a quad injury. Another key depth piece, running back Ty Johnson, was once again not present during the portion of practice that was open to the media. Johnson has not practiced since August 8 due to a hamstring injury.’