The Houston Texans and their new-look offense have a chance to make a reverberating statement in their home opener against the Buffalo Bills in week one. This will happen after an avalanche of offseason acquisitions aimed at improving a Houston unit that had their fair share of holes in 2025.
Even though they finished as the 13th-best scoring unit in the NFL last season, their offense as a whole finished as 18th-overall (meaning below average). This was caused via a combination of major injuries (RB Joe Mixon, WR Tank Dell, TE Brevin Jordan, etc.), an uneven offensive line, an anemic rushing attack and a first-year offensive coordinator in Nick Caley who had to manage it all.
As a result, general manager Nick Caserio and head coach DeMeco Ryans put their heads together and revamped the offensive personnel with arguably the most urgency that they have since their union began in 2023.
With that in mind, there are a couple of key names from this bunch that I can see providing a major spark to the offense against the Bills specifically. That would be running back David Montgomery and rookie guard/center Keylan Rutledge.
Keylan Rutledge can solidify the interior against the Bills defensive line
Starting with Rutledge, the rookie has been projected by many to supplant incumbent starting center Jake Andrews as the new head guy at the position. Being Houston's first draft pick at 26th-overall, he was credited with being arguably the most physical interior offensive lineman in the entire draft. That, and he's shown notable willingness and versatility to switch between all three inside roles.
Specializing as an impact run-blocker, Rutledge could theoretically help neutralize a Bills defensive interior that will feature names like Ed Oliver, DaQuan Jones, TJ Sanders and Deone Walker at various points. I don't expect Rutledge to outright dominate opposition like this in year one, but I do think his his physicality and tenacity will translate well into a Houston offense that wants to be the most aggressive team on the field on an every-down basis.
If he can consistently help create rushing lanes in the A gap and thensome, the Texans could be in line to have a huge day against a Bills defensive unit who had a 30% run-stop win-rate in 2025, which was good for 22nd-overall in the league (11th-worst). Which leads us to who would be one of the primary beneficiaries of his play, David Montgomery.
David Montgomery can have a prolific day against Buffalo run-defense in week 1
For further context, Buffalo run defense had 2025 statistics that painted this picture:
- 136.2 rushing yards allowed per game (28th)
- 5.1 yards per carry allowed (30th)
- 24 rushing touchdowns allowed (T-32nd)
- 2,315 total yards allowed (28th)
In last year's week 12 matchup between the two teams, Houston's sub-par rushing attack (headlined by Woody Marks and Nick Chubb) was able to muster 108 yards and 4.7 yards per carry. It may not seem like much on paper, but it was instrumental in maintaining drives and keeping quarterback Josh Allen of the field. Marks in particular had his best regular season output of his year, going of for 74 yards on 16 carries (4.6 average).
All that to say, if a lacking rushing attack can accomplish that against the Bills, what does one think a player Montgomery's caliber would be able to accomplish?
Fresh off being part of one of the most electric rushing tandems in the NFL alongside Detroit Lions star rusher Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery is hungry to re-establish himself as a quality threat all by himself in the NFL. While he will be part of a rotation of backs, Montgomery will certainly be viewed as the workhorse player who will have the bulk of the opportunities to put the rushing game on his back.
Throughout his now eight-year career, Montgomery has never rushed for less than 700 yards in any campaign. He's had multiple 1,000-yard seasons, along with multiple double-digit rushing score years. With an offense that will feature an emphasis on running the football and dominating the line of scrimmage on every down, Montgomery can utilize his acumen to create a massive footprint in the early goings on the season.
Even though Buffalo has undergone their own changes in adding defensive personnel and hiring a new defensive coordinator in Jim Leonhard, the reality is it might take them a while into the 2026 season to find their footing in their run defense. That could give Houston the opportunity needed to really establish their new identity of smash-mouth football and create a more-than-passable running product.
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