HOUSTON — Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills to a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday, delivering a late touchdown pass that secured the Bills’ first road win in Houston since 2006. Allen’s 34-yard touchdown connection to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining broke a back-and-forth contest at Reliant Stadium, culminating in a dramatic finish.

Allen finished the game with 334 passing yards, two touchdowns through the air, and two rushing scores, overcoming a previous streak of four losses at this stadium. The Texans had briefly taken a 31-30 lead, but Allen found Palmer in the end zone after narrowly eluding two defenders. Buffalo's two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving the final margin at five points.

Houston had an opportunity to respond quickly in the closing moments. Defensive back Kamari Lassiter nearly intercepted an Allen pass in the end zone moments before the touchdown but was unable to secure the catch. The Texans’ quarterback C.J. Stroud then faced heavy pressure from Buffalo's Greg Rousseau, who recorded a second strip-sack of the game, forcing a fumble recovered by Terrel Bernard to end Houston’s comeback hopes.

The Texans’ defense, which ranked first in yards allowed and second in points allowed last season, struggled to contain the Bills. Houston surrendered its highest point total since a 36-22 defeat to Cleveland in December 2023. Texans coach DeMeco Ryans expressed frustration, noting missed opportunities and a failure to capitalize on chances to make impactful plays. Defensive end Will Anderson called the performance below the team’s standard, emphasizing the need to improve late-game execution.

Offensively, Buffalo saw strong contributions from Dalton Kincaid, who caught five passes for 130 yards, and DJ Moore, who made five receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown in his debut with the Bills after being traded from Chicago. Joe Brady, recently promoted to head coach following Sean McDermott’s departure after nine seasons, earned his first victory in his new role, highlighting the team’s resilience and focus.

For Houston, running back David Montgomery scored three touchdowns in his first game with the team after a trade from Detroit, including two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown that put the Texans briefly ahead early in the fourth quarter. Stroud completed 274 passing yards with two touchdowns but also lost two fumbles, impacting Houston’s offensive rhythm.

The Bills’ victory marks an encouraging start to the season as they seek to build momentum under Brady’s leadership, while Houston looks to tighten its defense and finish games more effectively moving forward.