Texans' Studs & Duds in Disappointing Week 1 Loss to Bills

The Houston Texans came up short to the Buffalo Bills in their Week 1 matchup to kick off their 2026 campaign, which now sinks them to a sobering 0-1 to begin the new year.

And even in the Texans' losing effort against the Bills on Sunday, there were still a handful of noteworthy standouts worth highlighting that certainly boosted their stock a bit moving into Week 2.

Others within the mix on Houston's roster, however, had quite the opposite day, and will thus be looking for a bounceback come next week to get their own, and the Texans' 2026 campaign as a whole, back on track.

Let's sort through who the Texans' biggest studs and duds were from Week 1's loss against Buffalo:

Texans' Biggest Studs

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Texans running back David Montgomery (32) runs with the ball for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

RB David Montgomery

Quickly into his tenure with the Texans, Montgomery proved exactly why the front office was right to acquire him from the Detroit Lions via trade this offseason.

Montgomery capped off his debut with an impressive three touchdowns, logged 20 carries for 60 yards, added three receptions for 19 yards, and has cemented himself as Houston's bonafide RB1 ahead of Woody Marks for the foreseeable future.

COUNT 'EM 🗣️ That's three TDs for David Montgomery!

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Even if the Texans didn't come away with a win to kick off the new year, seeing this run game already taking a step forward from last year's output, especially in the red zone, is an extremely positive takeaway to gather.

WR Nico Collins

While the Texans and C.J. Stroud opted to spread the love to 11 different targets throughout the day against Buffalo, it was Nico Collins who was the clear top option in the room who took advantage of his opportunities in a big way.

Collins finished with seven total receptions on 10 targets for 75 yards, and connected on a touchdown with Stroud at the end of the first half that gave the offense some nice momentum heading into the second half.

What a grab by Nico Collins!

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Expect Collins to remain a primary, featured piece of this Texans' passing attack for as long as he's on the field, now on pace for his fourth-straight season logging over 1,000 receiving yards.

Texans' Biggest Duds

Sep 13, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III (4) is tackled by Houston Texans safety Reed Blankenship (6) during the first quarter at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WR Kayshon Boutte

Following the Texans' move to pick up Kayshon Boutte via trade with the New England Patriots, there were some rising expectations surrounding what the newcomer's role would look like, and whether he would join the fold as an immediate threat to claim No. 2 duties in the receiver room behind Nico Collins.

And Boutte did have one appealing play throughout the day: a nice 21-yard completion in the second half from C.J. Stroud over the middle. Outside of that play, though, Boutte remained without a reception and took a backseat to other pass-catchers like Xavier Hutchinson and even Jared Wayne.

Stroud with a strike to his new WR, Kayshon Boutte 👏

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So really, it might take a little more time than expected for Boutte to integrate himself into the Texans' offense. But at the very least, he did show that he has those explosive abilities in store for when he does get those targets his way.

DE Danielle Hunter

Last time Danielle Hunter faced this Bills offensive line in 2025, he had a day to remember from his contributions in this Texans' pass rush with six combined tackles and two sacks. But this time was a much different outcome for Houston's veteran edge rusher.

Hunter had zero counting stats throughout the day, combining for what was a lackluster day for the Texans' defense entirely. Houston only had two sacks logged on Josh Allen as a whole, and without that constant pressure coming at the 2024 league MVP, this Buffalo scoring attack was able to feast.

The Texans defense will have to see Hunter rise back to his typical form moving past this one for this elite front seven to perform at its true ceiling. Thankfully, history tends to be on Hunter's side for a turnaround to be in store.

S Reed Blankenship

Reed Blankenship joined the Texans this offseason with hopes that he could provide some much-needed stability within their strong safety spot next to Calen Bullock. He has a proven track record of production from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles that tempted Houston to pay out a $24 million deal his way.

So far, though, Blankenship has not exactly met expectations for what he was assumed to bring to this Texans' defense. He had multiple moments of busted coverage against the Bills, including one of the biggest highlights of the day from Buffalo's offense which came from a 43-yard pass to D.J. Moore in the second half.

DJ MOORE'S FIRST TD AS A BILL 🚨

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The Texans are no stranger to dealing with inconsistency within their safety unit. Just look at how they operated last season before Blankenship arrived. However, Houston better hope Blankenship can turn things around moving forward to make his offseason investment look a little bit better.

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