Houston Texans fall 36-31 to Buffalo Bills in season opener

The Houston Texans let a late lead slip away on Sunday, falling to the Buffalo Bills 36-31 in a thrilling season opener.

Houston had won six consecutive home games against Buffalo before the loss.

Bills rally late behind Josh Allen’s game-winning drive

What we know:

The Texans led 31-30 after Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 58-yard field goal with 6:44 remaining. Buffalo answered with a 96-yard drive, capped by Josh Allen’s 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 left.

Houston had one final opportunity, but C.J. Stroud was sacked twice on the final possession. His second sack resulted in a fumble that Buffalo recovered with 16 seconds remaining, ending the comeback attempt.

Turnovers cost Texans

Dig deeper:

David Montgomery powered Houston’s offense with three touchdowns, two rushing and one receiving. Stroud finished with 274 yards passing and two touchdowns, including a 12-yard scoring pass to Nico Collins in the final seconds of the first half.

But the Texans lost the turnover battle. Stroud fumbled twice, and Buffalo recovered both. The Bills did not commit a turnover.

What they're saying:

"The offense put up way more points than needed for us to win this game," Texans coach DeMeco Ryans said after the game.

Houston defensive concerns

What's next:

The loss also raised questions about Houston’s defense, which allowed Buffalo to score 36 points despite several strong moments. Allen helped lead the Bills with touchdown runs and a late touchdown drive that secured the victory.

Houston will try to rebound next week when it hosts Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

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