One Significant Change Buffalo Bills Deployed on Offense in Week 1 Win over Texans

In Week 1, the Buffalo Bills utilized a grouping they didn't use nearly as much during the 2025 season.

Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady on the sideline during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Teams have been deploying 13 personnel more and more over the last few years and it looks like the Buffalo Bills might be getting in on the fun — or least they did in Week 1 against the Houston Texans.

Of course, 13 personnel is a grouping in which a team uses three tight ends and one running back on the field at the same time. We saw Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams use this religiously in 2025, when the team deployed 13 personnel at a 30.48% clip, the highest in the league by more than double, per Sumer Sports.

The Bills did not really get in on the trend in 2025, with Buffalo using 13 personnel 4.62% of the time, which ranked 17th.

However, that changed drastically in Week 1 of this season, when head coach Joe Brady, who ran the offense as the offensive coordinator in 2025, deployed 13 personnel for a whopping 40.38% of snaps, which was the most in the NFL.

The Rams were the only NFL team close to using 13 personnel as much as the Bills did in Week 1, with McVay and Co. using it 36.8% of the time.

Here's the full top five from Week 1:

1. Buffalo Bills: 40.4%
2. Los Angeles Rams: 36.8%
3. Las Vegas Raiders: 17.91%
4. Jacksonville Jaguars: 17.9%
5. New York Jets (17.5%)

As ESPN's Bill Barnwell noted, usage of 13 personnel around the league was up in general. In Week 1 last season, teams used it 3.6% of the time, but it was up to 8.1% in Week 1 of this year.

Will it continue? We can't say for sure, and Brady wouldn't say so, either.

"We have four tight ends, to be able to get in that [personnel] and see what groupings they were going to throw out there, and we felt like that was an advantage to us," Brady said after the game, per Mike Maynard of BuffaloBills.com.

"And that doesn't mean it will be moving forward, but I felt like that was something that we were able to hang our hat on."

Why the change?

Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid (86) reacts after making a catch against the Houston Texans during the fourth quarter at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There's a few reasons why the Bills would use more 13 personnel, with one having to do with the fact that it helps improve blocking, which is especially important against an elite front like Houston's.

Another reason is the Bills have versatility in their tight ends room with guys like Dalton Kincaid, Dawson Knox and Jackson Hawes, which can help keep a defense guessing if an offense runs and passes out of the grouping.

The Bills were quite successful in that personnel, with the team tallying 138 total yards on 21 plays. In the first half alone, Buffalo averaged 5.3 yards per carry en route to 42 rushing yards and a score.

In the passing game, the Bills posted 43 yards in the second half in 13 personnel and averaged 10.8 yards per attempt.

Whatever the reason or reasons for the Bills deploying three tight ends far more often in Week 1, they should probably consider sticking with it after dropping 36 points on an elite defense.

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