Three Buffalo Bills' Storylines That Will Decide Sunday's Season Opener vs. Texans

From Joe Brady's head coaching debut to Josh Allen's on-field struggles against the Houston Texans, there is no shortage of storylines for the Buffalo Bills' season opener.

We'll let the morning shows highlight the low-hanging fruit while we focus on the actual storylines that will determine the winner when the Bills visit the Texans for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on September 13.

Here's one key narrative to examine for each phase of the game — offense, defense special teams — in this highly-anticipated clash between AFC contenders.

Joe Brady, Josh Allen — Buffalo Bills wide receiver Ja'mori Maclin gets a greeting from quarterback Josh Allen who was watching the team warm up with head coach Joe Brady before the team’s preseason game against the Steelers at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

How well will Bills protect Josh Allen?

Texans' edge rushers Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter had their way with Buffalo's offensive line in last year's meeting.

Consistently winning against Bills' tackles Dion Dawkins and Spencer Brown, the two game-wreckers set the table for eight Josh Allen sacks with the quarterback running for his life all night.

"I thought the way that we responded from an offensive line, play calling, offense last year from this game, I thought there was a lot of positives that came from it," said Brady. "I don't need Dion and Spencer to approach this week any differently than they have been throughout their career. I know they'll be ready to rock."

While the offensive line performance was subpar, Allen shouldered some of the blame for the Texans' pass rushing success.

"There was times in the last year, and the year before, situations that I could have played better. I took some bad sacks, and I put our team in some tough situations that didn't have to be like that," said Allen.

It's possible that the Bills will opt to help Dawkins and Brown by assigning a tight end or running back to chip block during plays. That could become more complicated in Sunday without third-down specialist Ty Johnson, who is trending toward unavailability.

Nov 20, 2025; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) returns an interception against the Buffalo Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins (73) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Can Bills put serious pressure on CJ Stroud?

An impactful pass rush is one of the best ways to neutralize an opponent's aerial attack, and first-year defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard knows it.

"I firmly believe you have to be able to rush the passer, you have to be able to cover," said Leonhard shortly after he was hired this past winter.

While the Bills' pass rush consistently lacked punch under Sean McDermott's direction, it was especially lacking in the two recent road losses in Houston.

In 2024, CJ Stroud was sacked once while passing for 331 yards in a 23-20 win. Last year, the Bills were unable to sack Davis Mills, who threw for 153 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-19 victory.

With Stroud slated to start, the presence of a pass rush is of the utmost importance. When pressured, Stroud's QBR drops from 66 to 27 (h/t ESPN's DJ Bien-Aime).

It's certainly worth watching how Leonhard attempts to generate pressure out of a 3-4 alignment, which should help edge rushers Greg Rousseau and Bradley Chubb maximize their ability.

"You can't pressure just to pressure. You can't do it recklessly. I've mentioned that multiple times," said Leonhard. "If you don't get home, the coverage is stressed. It's just what it is, so there's always a balance."

Who handles punt returns?

It's been a question since last season, and the Bills have yet to anoint a primary punt returner.

As for the candidates on the 53-man roster, starting nickel cornerback Dee Alford, who joined the team as a free agent in March, is slotted as the first-team punt returner according to the team's unofficial Week 1 depth chart.

After Alford, the Bills are left with wide receivers Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman along with inexperienced punt-catching backup running back Ray Davis.

"A lot of these guys will get opportunities in practice. Dee's done it, Ray's done it, Khalil's done it, Keon's done it, so we have options," said Brady.

Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis drops the ball on an attempted punt return with the ball being recovered by the Steelers during first half action of the Bills preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Highmark Stadium on Aug. 27, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Brady has said he prefers to keep Shakir out of that role, but the sure-handed receiver is likely the safest option. The best answer, however, is seemingly on the practice squad, meaning Buffalo would have to use one of its two allotted gameday elevations if they go in that direction.

In all likelihood, the Bills will call up Greg Dortch from the practice squad to handle punt return duties. Dortch averaged 11.6 yards per return for the Arizona Cardinals in 2025.

"If you look at the tape, and you look at my numbers, I'm dynamic," said Dortch. "I was Top 10 last year in the league, punt return average. I'm an exciting player."

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