By admin 
On Sunday, the Buffalo Bills secured a 36-31 win, though the Houston Texans’ offense kept the game competitive until the final whistle. Bills’ Josh Allen threw for 334 yards, accounting for four touchdowns, powering Buffalo to 409 total yards. Still, Houston scored 31 points and held a 31-30 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Texans’ offense generated 381 yards and moved the ball effectively for long stretches.
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Snap counts show how Houston’s coaching staff distributed the workload. Houston logged 79 offensive snaps, with C.J. Stroud and all five starting offensive linemen played 79 snaps, or 100%.
#Texans snap counts vs Bills:
🏈 Offense
• near 50/50 split at RB, Marks edged in front on final drive
• IMO, like last yr, too few snaps for Noel, last among WR
• 10 OT-eligible plays
🏈 Defense
• Only 1 DL w/ 50+ snaps in a game, that’s a fresh D, you’d like to see more… pic.twitter.com/TTWrdyOVc0
— Adam Wexler (@AdamJWexler) September 14, 2026
On defense, the Texans faced 58 snaps, with Derek Stingley Jr., Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre and Azeez Al-Shaair playing all 58. That gives a clear picture of Houston’s core personnel in Week 1.
Offensive Snap Count Takeaways
Aireontae Ersery, Ed Ingram, Keylan Rutledge, Trent Brown and Evan Brown each played all 79 offensive snaps. Stroud also never left the field, taking 79 snaps as well. That continuity mattered as Houston produced 381 total yards, including 124 rushing yards.
Nico Collins played 57 of 79 snaps (72%) and finished with seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. Xavier Hutchinson was next among Houston receivers with 44 snaps (56%), while Kayshon Boutte played 36 snaps (46%). Boutte had one 21-yard reception, but his role was smaller than Hutchinson’s in the opener.
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Houston used a near-even running back split. Woody Marks played 40 snaps (51%), just ahead of David Montgomery‘s 39 snaps (49%). Marks carried nine times for 42 yards, while Montgomery had 20 carries for 60 yards and added total three touchdowns for 19 yards. The numbers show Houston was comfortable giving both backs meaningful work rather than making one a full-time back.
Defensive Snap Count Takeaways
Houston’s secondary carried the heaviest workload. Kamari Lassiter, Jalen Pitre, Derek Stingley Jr. and Azeez Al-Shaair each played all 58 defensive snaps. Calen Bullock followed at 56 snaps (97%), while Reed Blankenship played 52 snaps (90%). The heavy usage underscores how little the Texans rotated their main defensive backs and linebacker group.
Will Anderson Jr. played 51 snaps (88%), Danielle Hunter played 45 snaps (78%), Sheldon Rankins played 41 snaps (71%) and Tommy Togiai played 40 snaps (69%). Mario Edwards added 18 snaps (31%), while Jadeveon Clowney played 20 (34%) and recorded a sack. The rotation was much deeper along the defensive front than in the secondary.
The defense struggled despite keeping its main players on the field. Buffalo scored 36 points and gained 409 yards, including 323 through the air. Dalton Kincaid alone produced 130 receiving yards, while DJ Moore added 100 yards and a touchdown. The Texans struggled to consistently contain Buffalo’s passing game, particularly in the middle of the field.
Linebacker Henry To’oTo’o played 51 snaps (88%) before leaving with a shoulder injury late in the game. He is expected to miss time. Jake Hansen replaced him for the final seven defensive snaps, logging a 12% share in the opener.
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This story was originally published September 16, 2026 at 6:21 AM.