Three Plays That Could've Cost Bills in Week 1, Turned Tide in Texans' Favor

Buffalo's offense exploded for 409 total yards against Houston on Sunday, but there were a few near mistakes that could've cost the team a critical AFC road victory.

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs with the ball for a touchdown during the first half against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Sunday’s crucial conference victory for the Buffalo Bills over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium was nothing short of cinematic.

Filled with eight total touchdowns between the two teams, nine different lead changes, and 790 combined yards of total offense for the early-afternoon showing, NFL fans around the globe—particularly Bills Mafia members—couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off the festivities in Week 1.

Not only was it Joe Brady’s first career win as a head coach in the National Football League, but it was also the first time that Bills’ franchise quarterback Josh Allen had ever come away victorious on Houston’s home turf as he was 0-4 in his previous attempts against the Texans on the road.

So, undoubtedly, the reasons to celebrate over the past 24 hours and change have been bountiful for the Bills and their fans. 

Despite victory, blunders vs. Texans were readily apparent

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady reacts on the sideline during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, however, as is routine at the highest rank of professional football, everyone involved in the operation is forced to turn their attention to Thursday night’s home opener against the Detroit Lions at the brand new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.

Less than 24 hours from the exhilarating contest against the Texans, the time for resting on any laurels is over.

And, as such, Brady and Co. were quickly forced to look for the not-so-good elements from Sunday’s win, which—according to Buffalo’s first-year lead man—showed up in spades on film.

With that being the case, relaxing isn’t an option.

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans' head coach DeMeco Ryans greets Buffalo Bills' first-year head coach Joe Brady after the game at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“Look, all three phases weren’t good enough yesterday, right? And, we have to (fix it). There’s too many penalties across the board. I think, sometimes when you look at a box score, you think it can paint a picture of a lot of things—that are either good or bad—but when you actually watch it, you know, there was a lot of ‘smoke detectors’ out there,” said Brady on Monday.

“Offensively, we put a ball on the ground, right? It can show that there was no takeaways or no turnovers, but we had some turnover opportunities, turnover-worthy plays . . . I think we have to play cleaner football.”

Cook's fumble was one of three Bills' offensive plays that could’ve turned tide

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans' cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. (24) attempts to strip the ball away from Buffalo Bills' running back James Cook III (4) during the game at Reliant Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The fumble to which Brady is referring to happened on a carry by Bills’ running back James Cook III with 3:13 remaining in the fourth quarter during the team’s final go-ahead drive of the game when the defending NFL rushing champion put the ball on the ground on a 12-yard carry deep from within Buffalo’s own territory at the 4-yard line.

The first-down run ultimately ended in a recovery from starting right guard O’Cyrus Torrence inside the 20-yard line, so any possible issues were avoided in the moment, but it could’ve possibly meant disaster for the beloved Western New York franchise as the team still trailed 31-30 at the point of the contest.

So, what if it turned out the other way? 

Fans probably wouldn’t be smiling on a victory Monday, that’s for sure. 

However, for as horrific as that instance almost was, there were two other plays—ones fans may have forgotten about—that also could’ve spelled the end for any thoughts of a comeback on Sunday for Allen and the Bills.

“We’re going to be figuring our team out. Like, we (as coaches) like to think you have a pulse (of the team), but you’re still trying to get a feel of how to use guys—offensively, defensively, (and on) special teams—and to see the guys be able to make the adjustments . . . that’s what I was proud of,” Brady added on Monday.

“We don’t get a lot of time to be able to, kind of, talk about the game, right? So, how do the guys learn from it and make sure that those same mistakes don’t show up this week, and we continue to grow as a football team. . . .

“Obviously, (everyone would) want that second-to-last play back (on the final drive). I’m not telling you everything was perfect, but I thought (Josh) played the style of game that I wanted him to play.”

Near-costly mistakes were eerily familiar

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills' quarterback Josh Allen (17) looks up in dismay during the game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As Brady alluded to, there were some moments in the critical early-season AFC matchup that players like Allen would like a “re-do” on from this past weekend.

And, they weren’t just instances that were some run-of-the-mill “bugaboos”, either. 

They were eerily reminiscent of his second-year playoff blunders against the Texans from seven years ago . . . or even the four-turnover performance he served up against the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs this past January.

Allen was amazing against the Texans—that fact is undeniable—but there were two sequences on the field in particular during this past weekend’s game that could’ve flipped the outcome on its head completely.

If the happenings reversed course, then fans wouldn’t be so cheery to start their work week . . . and it would’ve never allowed for the spectacular, game-sealing plays to be made by wideout Joshua Palmer or outside linebacker Gregory Rousseau.

So, what were the near boneheaded mistakes?

Major mishaps almost occurred right before crossing goal line

Sep. 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Well, following a 46-yard penalty for pass interference against Texans’ cornerback Kamari Lassiter that gave Buffalo the ball at the one-yard line with 4:05 remaining in the opening half, Allen threw an inadvertent pass to Khalil Shakir, who was cutting in from the far right side for a designed screen of sorts, and the ball was nearly intercepted by safety Jalen Pitre.

Pitre, who read Allen’s eyes all the way, was only able to get his fingertips on the pass and pop the ball up into the air, but it was mere fractions away from being taken back 99 yards the other way for a “house call” from the vaunted Houston defense.

It wasn’t though, and Allen managed to sneak the ball in from the goal line on the very next play to give the Bills a 17-14 advantage with 3:59 to go in the second quarter following a made extra-point attempt from veteran kicker Tyler Bass.

From there?

Allen nearly had one more game-altering blunder for the Bills when—for whatever reason—the former 2024 league MVP decided to loft a 50-50 ball into the air in the end zone on the Bills’ final (meaningful) offensive drive of the game from the Texans’ 34-yard line.

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter (3) is unable to make a catch for an interception against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Reliant Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, instead of it being a ball that his receiver had a chance at coming down with, the pass landed right into the waiting arms of the previously mentioned Lassiter, who had been snakebitten by the costly penalty earlier in the game.

It should have been a somewhat routine game-sealing interception given that there was just 1:48 remaining in the fourth quarter at that point and Palmer wasn’t even in frame to fight for the ball, but instead the ball fell harmlessly to the turf.

And, on the very next play—just like with the other near interception—Allen dialed it in and delivered a touchdown, which was a beautiful 34-yard strike to the previously mentioned Palmer on a “got to have it” 3rd-and-11 play.

Bills must fix mistakes in a hurry as Thursday Night Football awaits

With that in mind, it’s clear to see that things weren’t all sunshine and rainbows for Allen and the offense despite the former 2018 top-10 pick throwing for 334 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions in addition to securing two scores and 23 rushing yards on the ground.

It could’ve been an entirely different story heading into Thursday night’s highly-anticipated home opener in Western New York had things gone the other way.

Aug 15, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) warms up before a pre-season game against the Carolina Panthers at the New Highmark Stadium | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But, thankfully NFL football is a game of inches, and the Bills narrowly made the mark down in Houston, Texas.

They might not be so lucky this week if they don’t clean up their act, though. The Lions will be hungry.

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