Game week thread - Bills at Texans

[BillsFan619]

Pre-season games are over and the initial 53 is set.

 

We're on to the regular season and on to the Texans.

 

I know Houston's defense is really good, but the Texans just put WR Tank Dell on IR (designated to return) and Higgins (their WR2) is already on IR.

 

Lets go Buffalo, make a statement right out of the gate.

Go Bills!

 

 

 

Edited September 6 by BillsFan619

[Chandler#81]

In other news..

 

[Bills fan since 87]

Go Bills!!

[SydneyBillsFan]

I thought the Texans game was week one 🤔

[Bookie Man]

Don't think we drop 3 in a row to Houston. Like us in this spot. 

[BillsFan619]

On 8/30/2026 at 8:30 PM, SydneyBillsFan said:

I thought the Texans game was week one 🤔

It’s just a play on words.

 

It’s normally called “Game week thread”, but since we’re two weeks away from the game, I phrased it differently. That said, I can change the title to avoid confusion. 😃

 

On 8/30/2026 at 8:31 PM, Bookie Man said:

Don't think we drop 3 in a row to Houston. Like us in this spot. 

I agree, and I like playing them in week one.

Edited September 1 by BillsFan619

[GASabresIUFan]

6 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

I know Houston's defense is really good, but the Texans just put WR Tank Dell on IR (designated to return) and Higgins (their WR2) is already on IR.

So you are saying I should start Dalton Schultz on my fantasy team?

Edited August 31 by GASabresIUFan

[HaldimandBills]

What a weird game last year. 

 

Thursday Nighter in Houston. No Kincaid. Dawkins and Brown injured in the first quarter and tried to gut it out. Bills were sloppy in their game planning and ran a lot of mesh which Houston was more than prepared for.

 

No 13 personal with three tightends for Buffalo to help the Tackles, run game, and Allen. Palmer as we learned had a high ankle sprain and couldn't separate. Shavers was our top receiver the week before against Tampa. Coleman was beginning to find his way into the doghouse. Shakir balled out in this game reaffirming he's a top tier slot in the league.

 

Houston had no Stroud but I think this benefited them. They played a conservative game with Davis Mills never putting the ball in harms way and risking a turnover. 

 

Houston's defense is scary. They are going to get stops and they're going to be physical. Buffalo is going to have to force a couple of turnovers and play lights out defense because I dont see us putting up more than 21 points on Houston defense. People forget Ray Davis scored a kick return td in that game last year. 

 

This game is exactly why DJ Moore is on the Bills. We are going to find out if he draws extra safety coverage and opens up the field for everyone else. Will be interesting to see how much man vs. zone Houston plays against Buffalo. Last year Houston played a lot of man and had zero respect for the Bills receivers.

Edited August 31 by HaldimandBills

[Rubes]

2 hours ago, HaldimandBills said:

What a weird game last year. 

 

Thursday Nighter in Houston. No Kincaid. Dawkins and Brown injured in the first quarter and tried to gut it out. Bills were sloppy in their game planning and ran a lot of mesh which Houston was more than prepared for.

 

No 13 personal with three tightends for Buffalo to help the Tackles, run game, and Allen. Palmer as we learned had a high ankle sprain and couldn't separate. Shavers was our top receiver the week before against Tampa. Coleman was beginning to find his way into the doghouse. Shakir balled out in this game reaffirming he's a top tier slot in the league.

 

Houston had no Stroud but I think this benefited them. They played a conservative game with Davis Mills never putting the ball in harms way and risking a turnover. 

 

Houston's defense is scary. They are going to get stops and they're going to be physical. Buffalo is going to have to force a couple of turnovers and play lights out defense because I dont see us putting up more than 21 points on Houston defense. People forget Ray Davis scored a kick return td in that game last year. 

 

This game is exactly why DJ Moore is on the Bills. We are going to find out if he draws extra safety coverage and opens up the field for everyone else. Will be interesting to see how much man vs. zone Houston plays against Buffalo. Last year Houston played a lot of man and had zero respect for the Bills receivers.

 

Good points. I really think this is a game the TEs are going to get a lot of work and really help us out.

 

[eball]

@HaldimandBills I think the Bills are going to score more than 21 simply because of how depleted we were last year by comparison, as you detailed in your post. We’ll go into this one healthy at WR, TE, and OL. We’ll also have tweaks Houston hasn’t seen from this offense.

 

I’ve said it in other threads. Houston is overrated, despite their elite defense. Their offense is a HUGE question mark and might be a mess. WR1 and not much else, plus a QB who was awful the last time he stepped on a football field for real.

 

The Bills have been overlooked this offseason by everyone except Vegas. This is a statement game and I’m expecting big things.

 

[Drew21PA]

Unfortunately I think we are going to get punched in the mouth.  
 

huge contest and measuring stick to see where we are on defense and also offense

 

their defense is nasty - those wr out for the game aren’t going to matter - just like last year when they didn’t have stroud didn’t matter

 

josh and offense have to take care of business and the ball

 

now I will say this - that game McDermott head head scrat CB inf decisions

 

can coach Brady make a couple better decisions?  If so they win that game in Houston and can win this one 

[Son of a K-Gun]

1 hour ago, eball said:

@HaldimandBills I think the Bills are going to score more than 21 simply because of how depleted we were last year by comparison, as you detailed in your post. We’ll go into this one healthy at WR, TE, and OL. We’ll also have tweaks Houston hasn’t seen from this offense.

 

I’ve said it in other threads. Houston is overrated, despite their elite defense. Their offense is a HUGE question mark and might be a mess. WR1 and not much else, plus a QB who was awful the last time he stepped on a football field for real.

 

The Bills have been overlooked this offseason by everyone except Vegas. This is a statement game and I’m expecting big things.

 

 

I could see the Bills scoring more than 21 in this one as well, in part because I see the defense taking the ball away from Stroud a couple of times giving the offense great field position to work with.  As @HaldimandBills said, Davis Mills played conservative and didn't try to do too much...Stroud doesn't seem to have that discipline.  I expect Leonhard's defense will force him into mistakes and outside of Nico there isn't anyone on that Texans offense that scares me.

[dorquemada]

13 hours ago, BillsFan619 said:

Pre-season games are over and the initial 53 is set.

 

We're on to the regular season and on to the Texans.

 

I know Houston's defense is really good, but the Texans just put WR Tank Dell on IR (designated to return) and Higgins (their WR2) is already on IR.

 

Lets go Buffalo, make a statement right out of the gate.

Go Bills!

 

 

 

 

I guess we'll find out right away if our run defense is improved.  The biggest thing I'm hoping for there is that 3rd and long no longer is a gimme for the other team

[Buffalo Boy]

We opened 2022 against the Rams and Their vaunted D ( along with a much better O we assumed) 

We used a lot of quick hitters and protection to foil their pass rush and killed them 31-10.

Different year, different team and staff but we are more than capable of the same this year. 

[BuffaloBillyG]

The Houston defense is really good, but I feel like they are a bit overblown on this board. They do have a good pass rush, but they had one of their best days against us. It sticks in our mind. I don't think they have that same success again. The OL remembers what happened and I think they are very eager to gain a manner of revenge and shut it down. With (hopefully) Dawkins not getting a concussion and Brown playing with two arms, I think they are up to the challenge. 

 

Throw in a healthy Kincaid and DJ Moore, and Josh doesn't have to hold the ball as long. I think we go in there and stomp them. Something like 33-16.

[hikerprof2]

Bills 27 Houston 17.

 

Houston's defense will slow down, not stop, the Bills offense. Avoid ridiculous turnovers and negative plays. Houston's offense is unimpressive and cannot keep up.

 

 

[JP51]

9 hours ago, Bookie Man said:

Don't think we drop 3 in a row to Houston. Like us in this spot. 

I dont think we match up well with them, their defense really concerns me... that said, life can be difficult against a defense like that when you cant run and your receivers don't separate...  if our new WR can create separation then its a different game, if Josh has to hold on to the ball because that isnt happening... again, I have significant concerns about this game. 

[Bruffalo]

The Bills, Brady, and Allen all have something to prove and a statement to make. 

 

So I fully expect we will either blow them out of the water, or our gameplan won't work and we'll get thrashed. I don't see a path to a nailbiter. 

 

Fingers crossed the Bills come out blazing. 

Edited August 31 by Bruffalo

[SCBills]

We have 4 TE’s on the 53 and Brady with the experience of what not to do against the Texans as OC last year.  
 

I think we go heavy sets on them much of the game, mashing them with the run game and playaction/moving the pocket. 
 

All of our TE’s can catch, Kincaid and (if active) Latu, can stretch the field.

 

We’ll see if the RB passing game increases as well.

 

Moore and a healthy Palmer is like nothing Josh has had on the outside since the Diggs, Sanders days.

 

On Defense, I think we’re all wait and see.  If this Secondary can keep Nico Collins and Boutte under wraps, I think Leonhard will be able to scheme up pressure on Stroud with that meh OL.  
 

Interested to see what we look like against 11, as Jerry Ostroski pointed out, Bills run defense in preseason was a bit susceptible to runs out of that formation when we bring in a Nickel Corner and are playing 6 on 6.  

[Royale with Cheese]

Houston, now without Dell, should not be able to score on us.  Our offense just needs to not give the game away.