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Joe Allen cracked Texans' dominant defense. Takeaways from wild AFC tilt

The Buffalo Bills kicked off their 2026 campaign with an exhilarating 36-31 comeback triumph over the Houston Texans in a thrilling Week 1 showdown. Josh Allen spearheaded the attack by amassing 334 yards through the air alongside two passing touchdowns, while tacking on another two scores on the ground.

Bolstered by Greg Rousseau's fierce defensive pressure, Buffalo secured its first victory on Houston's home turf since 2006.

Entering the high-stakes AFC contest, Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. had framed the matchup as a benchmark for Houston's title aspirations, while defensive coordinator Matt Burke sought ways to contain Buffalo's dynamic signal-caller.

J. Stroud and an explosive showing from the Texans' offense, the unit stumbled late following an Allen touchdown, allowing Buffalo to emerge victorious in the closing seconds.