How to Watch Buffalo Bills vs Houston Texans: NFL Week 1 2026

Watch Info

• Date: Sunday, September 13, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• TV Channel: CBS
• Streaming: Paramount+, NFL+ (in-market), NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV (out-of-market)
• Location: NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
• Odds: Essentially a pick'em, with Houston a slight favorite

Game Preview

Few Week 1 matchups carry as much recent baggage as this one. Buffalo hasn't won in Houston since 2006, and the Texans have gotten the better of the Bills in each of the last three meetings, including a Week 12 Thursday Night Football win last season that ESPN's Ben Solak called one of the most surprising results of 2025. Josh Allen has struggled against this opponent specifically, posting a 1-3 record with three touchdowns, three interceptions, and a 74.0 passer rating in his career against Houston.

The stakes go beyond bragging rights this time. Buffalo opens a brand-new stadium the following week on Thursday Night Football against Detroit, making a strong start in Houston important for momentum before that celebratory home debut. For Houston, it's a chance to open the year making an early statement as one of several national analysts' picks to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

Buffalo Bills News & Storylines

Buffalo enters under new head coach Joe Brady, who brings what's been described as a more attacking approach on both sides of the ball. The Bills are expected to have a healthier roster than in recent trips to Houston, including tight end Dalton Kincaid, who reported to camp in improved shape. Still, the pattern against this opponent has been the same for three straight seasons: Buffalo's offense sputters against Houston's defense, and the Bills find themselves rallying too late.

Houston Texans News & Storylines

Houston's defense, led by Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter, remains one of the most feared units in football and the central reason for its recent dominance in this series. Quarterback C.J. Stroud and the offense will be running a new-look scheme, which could take time to gel early in the season — a potential opening for Buffalo if the Texans' attack is still finding its footing in Week 1. Even so, Houston's defensive identity alone has been enough to trouble Buffalo in each of the last three meetings, regardless of who's throwing the ball on the other side.

Key Matchup to Watch

Josh Allen and Buffalo's offensive line against Houston's pass rush is the whole ballgame. Allen was sacked eight times in last year's meeting, and if that pressure shows up again early in the season, it could be another long day for Buffalo's offense regardless of what Joe Brady's system looks like on paper.

What to Expect

Prediction markets have this one essentially even, but recent history and Houston's defensive pedigree make this a genuine measuring-stick game for Buffalo's new coaching staff. Expect a physical, low-scoring battle where Buffalo's ability to protect Josh Allen determines whether this finally becomes the year the Bills flip the script in Houston.