Bills Prove Better Than Texans in Unexpected Phase of Game

Buffalo managed to keep Houston's hellish pass-rushers in check, while the Bills' defensive unit saved the day in dramatic fashion to capture a win.

Buffalo Bills linebacker Michael Hoecht takes a breather during warm up before the Bills preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Buffalo Bills entered Sunday’s crucial early-season AFC matchup against the Houston Texans on quite the losing streak heading into the contest as it had been nearly twenty years since the team last grabbed a victory at Reliant Stadium.

Houston’s home venue had been a “House of Horrors” for Bills’ franchise quarterback Josh Allen up until this weekend’s meeting, and it had a lot to do with the fact that the Texans’ relentless pass rush often was too much for Allen and Buffalo’s offensive line to handle.

Matching Houston’s pass-rush intensity was major key

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans' quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) attempts a pass during the second half of an NFL game against the Buffalo Bills at Reliant Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And, with that being the case, stifling former 2023 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year, Will Anderson Jr, as well as fellow edge rushers Danielle Hunter and Jadeveon Clowney, was seen as one of the major keys to the game for first-year head coach Joe Brady’s offensive unit.

Bills’ veteran Bradley Chubb even went as far as to say that the Bills needed to match or even surpass the Texans’ intensity on that side of the ball in order to come away with a victory.

It wasn’t an outlandish take, either.

Allen was pressured 17 times and sacked eight others during last season’s 23-19 loss to the squad from the AFC South, with Anderson Jr. (2.5) and Hunter (2) each accounting for at least two sacks in the matchup one year ago.

Simply put, the Texans’ terrorizing EDGE duo was unstoppable. 

Bills’ group of edge defenders—particularly Groot—proved to be better of two teams

Aug. 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Buffalo Bills' veteran outside linebacker Greg Rousseau (15) walks off the field following the conclusion of the second half of a preseason game between the Bills and the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But, flash forward nearly one calendar year later, and it was the Bills’ group of pass rushers—not Houston’s—who hampered the opposition for a majority of the afternoon, particularly in the most critical moments of the outing.

For the afternoon, Buffalo recorded 18 total pressures according to Pro Football Focus while also tallying three sacks, compared to the Texans, who managed to garner just two sacks of Allen and 11 pressures.

And, furthermore, Bills’ sixth-year veteran outside linebacker Gregory Rousseau was undoubtedly the best pass rusher on the field for the afternoon, which was certainly a nice change of pace from the past few seasons considering the one-time 2021 first-round pick has failed to be much of a game-changer since coming out of the University of Miami.

Nov. 16, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' EDGE rusher Greg Rousseau warms up prior to the start of a past NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the old Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Just playing fast, coverage down the field being good, us rushing up front, (and) kind of being connected (was the key),” Bills’ veteran outside linebacker Gregory Rousseau said in an interview with Sky Sports following his performance that included four tackles, two sacks, two forced fumbles, and one pass deflection.

“That’s football at the end of the day, and (I) just had to make a play.”

Groot has always had ability, but it appears Bills’ new scheme may have activated new level

Aug. 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills' defensive tackle Deone Walker (96) reacts to getting a sack with Bills' outside linebacker Greg Rousseau (15) during the first half of a preseason game at the new Highmark Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A former ACC Defensive Freshman of the Year for the Hurricanes seven years ago, Rousseau entered the league after finishing his final collegiate season with 15.5 sacks, which was good for second in the nation for all of college football in 2019.

In the NFL, though, the 6-foot-6, 266-pounder has failed to reach more than eight sacks in a single season.

And, while he’s shown flashes of dominance and multiple-sack performances in the past, Sunday’s season starter looked a little different for Rousseau, as well as for the team’s pursuit of the quarterback as a whole.

Buffalo’s unit was shaky in totality—no doubt—and there are many areas that new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard needs to clean up in a hurry. 

But, when it pertains to the pass-rushing category of the group, it appears that maybe things are finally taking a turn.

Too many times in the past, former Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott’s defenses would fail to generate much of any real pass rush in the peak moments of a game.

And, even if quarterback Josh Allen was ever able to secure a lead late, more often than not the defense would surrender that advantage in grueling fashion.

Not this past weekend, though.

Texans’ last drive was demonstrative of Bills’ past pass-rushing struggles finally being solved

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills' defensive lineman Ed Oliver (91) reacts after recovering a fumble following a C.J. Stroud strip sack by Gregory Rousseau during the first quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

On Houston’s final drive, both Rousseau and second-year defensive lineman Deone Walker managed to get a takedown of Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud, and Rousseau’s second strip sack of the former Ohio State gunslinger with nine seconds remaining on the clock was the sequence that secured the victory for the Bills.

It’s a play that fans have been clamoring for in seasons of the past, particularly in the playoffs. And, it was certainly a sight for sore eyes . . . for everyone involved.

“We’ve got a lot of guys who just have a lot of love for each other,” Rousseau added.

“God is good. He was able to let us go out there and get a stop when we really needed it the most. We’re just going to put the ball down and play. If (there’s) time on the clock, we’re just going to keep playing. And, that’s what it’s all about. It’s really, really simple.”

Now, the key is to continue trending in a positive direction and not quickly fall off. 

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills' linebacker Terrel Bernard (8) celebrates after recovering a fumble following a Gregory Rousseau strip sack against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Two years ago, Rousseau opened the 2024 campaign with three sacks against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1 at the old Highmark Stadium before finishing with just five sacks over the remaining 16 games of the regular season.

Hopefully, that isn’t the case within Leonhard’s scheme for the player nicknamed Groot in Western New York this season, or for his fellow pass rushers.

The Bills, especially considering how leaky the secondary looked, will need to have the pass rush come alive even more as the months move toward January.

So far, though, the opening test was a success in terms of harassing the opposing quarterback.

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