Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Injuries noted

Buffalo Bills: Tyrell Shavers (PUP-R) — out; Dorian Strong (NFI-R) — nfi-r; Ty Johnson (Questionable) — Johnson (hamstring) is questionable for Sunday's game at Houston, Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic reports.; Phidarian Mathis (Reserve-Sus) — reserve-sus; Zane Durant (IR-R) — ir; Jordan Hancock (Questionable) — questionable; T.J. Sanders (Questionable) — Sanders (knee) did not participate at practice Thursday.

Houston Texans: Tank Dell (IR-R) — Dell (knee) agreed to take a pay cut from the Texans on Friday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; E.J. Speed (PUP-R) — Speed (quadriceps) was moved to the reserve/PUP list by the Texans on Sunday.; M.J. Stewart (PUP-R) — Stewart (quadriceps) was moved to the reserve/PUP list by the Texans on Sunday.; Ja'Marcus Ingram (IR-R) — The Texans placed Ingram (shoulder) on injured reserve Sunday with a designation to return, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; Graham Mertz (IR) — Knee - ACL; Solomon Byrd (IR) — Byrd (ankle) reverted to the Texans' injured-reserve list Monday, per the NFL's transaction log.; Ali Gaye (IR) — The Texans placed Gaye (knee) on injured reserve Sunday.; Sam Hagen (IR) — The Texans placed Hagen (undisclosed) on injured reserve Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.; Jayden Higgins (IR) — ir; Dylan Horton (IR) — The Texans placed Horton (Achilles) on injured reserve Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.; K.C. Ossai (IR) — The Texans placed Ossai (undisclosed) on injured reserve Saturday.; Braden Smith (IR) — The Texans placed Smith (foot) on injured reserve Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.; Kayden McDonald (IR) — The Texans placed McDonald (ankle) on injured reserve Friday.

QUARTERBACK

• C.J. Stroud starts at quarterback for HOU

  7.19 Y/A

  Stroud's 2025 season line: 3041 passing yards, 64.5% completions, 7.19 yards per attempt, 19-8 TD-INT over 14 games.

• Josh Allen starts at quarterback for BUF

  7.97 Y/A

  Allen's 2025 season line: 3668 passing yards, 69.3% completions, 7.97 yards per attempt, 25-10 TD-INT over 17 games.

TRENCHES

• BUF is +50.7 rush yards per game (2025 season)

  50.7 YPG

  BUF produced 50.7 more rushing yards per game in the 2025 regular season, averaging 159.6 over 17 games versus HOU’s 108.9 over 17. BUF brings the stronger ground-production profile, but these offensive totals alone cannot show which side dictates the matchup.

• BUF gets +1.04 more yards a carry (2025 season)

  1.04 Y/C

  BUF is at 4.97 yards per rush attempt over 17 games; HOU is at 3.94 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

PACE & SCRIPT

• BUF @ HOU carries a 67.5 market total

  67.5

  BUF-HOU’s 67.5 total sits 20 points above the 47.5 median across 13 games with posted totals, establishing one of the slate’s strongest high-scoring expectations. That view breaks if scoring is substantially more restrained than the total implies.

• BUF is scoring +4.5 points per game (2025 season)

  4.5 PPG

  BUF is at 28.3 points per game over 17 games; HOU is at 23.8 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

• HOU's defense gives up 4.1 fewer points per game (2025 season)

  4.1 PPG

  BUF is at 21.5 points allowed per game over 17 games; HOU is at 17.4 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

TURNOVERS

• HOU commits 0.41 fewer turnovers per game (2025 season)

  0.41 TO

  BUF is at 1.12 turnovers committed per game over 17 games; HOU is at 0.71 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

• HOU puts 0.35 fewer fumbles on the ground per game (2025 season)

  0.35 FUM

  BUF is at 0.53 fumbles lost per game over 17 games; HOU is at 0.18 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

EXPLOSIVE PLAYS

• BUF owns a +0.84 yards-per-play gap (2025 season)

  0.84 Y/P

  BUF is at 5.94 yards per play over 17 games; HOU is at 5.1 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

RED ZONE

• BUF's red-zone scoring rate is 19.9 percentage points higher (2025 season)

  19.9 PP

  BUF is at 66.2% red-zone scoring rate over 17 games; HOU is at 46.3% over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

COACHING

• BUF's staff goes for it 0.76 more times per game on fourth down (2025 season)

  0.76 ATT/G

  BUF is at 1.88 fourth-down attempts per game over 17 games; HOU is at 1.12 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

MISMATCH

• BUF's ground game against HOU's — 159.6 rush yards a game to 108.9 (2025 season)

  159.6 VS 108.9

  Buffalo averaged 159.6 rushing yards per game over 17 games in the 2025 regular season; Houston averaged 108.9 over 17. The comparison measures two offenses, so it does not establish how Buffalo’s ground game matches Houston’s defense.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

• HOU lead the series with BUF since 2025

  1-0 SERIES

  HOU leads BUF 1-0 since 2025, taking their only meeting in that span. HOU beat BUF 23-19 at home on Nov. 20, 2025.

REPLACEMENT

• Graham Mertz (QB) is on injured reserve for HOU

  IR

  Knee - ACL

• Jayden Higgins (WR) is on injured reserve for HOU

  IR

  ir Reported Sep 8.

• Jordan Hancock (CB) is questionable for BUF

  QUESTIONABLE

  questionable Reported Sep 9.

• Cole Bishop (S) is questionable for BUF

  QUESTIONABLE

  Bishop suffered a knee injury during Sunday's game against the Texans but is probable to return. Reported Sep 13.

PRACTICE REPORT

• T.J. Sanders

  Questionable

  Knee · Limited practice · Questionable

• Ty Johnson

  Questionable

  Hamstring · Limited practice · Questionable

• Jordan Hancock

  Questionable

  Quadricep · Full practice · Questionable

• Will Anderson Jr.

  DNP

  Did not practice

SITUATIONAL

• BUF's third-down conversion rate is 7.5 percentage points higher (2025 season)

  7.5 PP

  BUF is at 44.8% third-down conversion rate over 17 games; HOU is at 37.2% over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

• BUF moves the chains 3 more times per game (2025 season)

  3 FD

  BUF is at 22 first downs per game over 17 games; HOU is at 19 over 17 games. Those are 2025 regular-season team-game results; the 2026 season has no finals for these clubs yet.

• BUF (1-0) at HOU (0-1)

  -10 PT GAP

  BUF arrives 1-0 with a +5 point differential and one straight win this season; HOU is 0-1 at -5 after one straight loss. BUF is 1-0 on the road and HOU 0-1 at home, but the 10-point gap and both splits come from one game.

AFTER GARY

• HOU +100 → -102

  GARY +0.5PP

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