The Houston Texans have one of the best rosters in the NFL, and it will come in handy in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. It's arguably the most intriguing game on the entire slate in week one, and although kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m., it feels like a primetime matchup.
Both teams have realistic super bowl expectations, so it will be a litmus test. Rather than predict the winner of the game, I've tried to figure out which players could make the biggest impact for Houston. Here are my predictions for the Texans' standouts for week one.
Predicting which Texans players will stand out against the Bills
The Texans beat the Bills 23-19 last season while sacking Josh Allen eight times to tie a single-game franchise record. Davis Mills was under center for the Texans, as CJ Stroud missed the game due to a concussion. Who will help them get the job done this time?
Offensive Player to Watch
There hasn't been much hype around running back David Montgomery in Houston, but that could change after week one. Formerly with the Bears and Lions, respectively, Montgomery could be primed for a dominant debut.
The Bills defense ranked 28th in the league against the run in 2025, allowing 136 yards per game. They were also tied with the Cowboys for the most rushing touchdowns allowed (24). Per NextGen Stats (NGS), Buffalo was the worst defense in the league when it came to yards after contact per carry (3.9). Montgomery was a top 20 running back in the same category, averaging 3.4 yards after contact per carry.
Montgomery only reached double-digit carries in eight games last season, as he played behind Jahmyr Gibbs. With the Texans, Montgomery should see at least 12 to 15 carries every game. With a bigger workload and a vulnerable rushing defense, he could have a big day against the Bills.
Defensive Player to Watch
The Texans have so much talent on defense that just about any player could dominate any given game. However, one player seems poised to perform against the Bills this Sunday: safety Calen Bullock.
Houston generated three takeaways against the Bills last season, and Bullock was responsible for all of them, with two interceptions and a forced fumble. Among all Texans defensive backs in 2025, Bullock was first in snaps (940), second in passer rating allowed (54.7) and third in tackles with 64 (NGS).
The Bills only targeted Bullock twice in their matchup last season, and it was two times too many. Buffalo added a new WR1 in the offseason in DJ Moore, giving Allen the reliable WR option he's been missing. As long as the Texans create pressure on Allen, however, they should be able to hold the Bills under 20 points again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google