HOUSTON (Interstat) — Josh Allen accounted for four touchdowns and Buffalo scored in the final minutes to beat Houston 36-31 at NRG Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in an NFL game. The game was the season opener for both teams. Allen threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Joshua Palmer with 1:36 remaining, and a failed two-point conversion kept the final margin at five points. The visiting Bills improved to 1-0, while the Texans fell to 0-1 before an announced attendance of 71,008.

Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns and ran six times for 23 yards and two scores. Allen’s longest completion was a 43-yard touchdown to Moore, and his longest run was 21 yards. The 6-foot-5, 237-pound quarterback from Firebaugh, California, opened Buffalo’s touchdown account with a 21-yard scramble in the second quarter and added a 1-yard run later in the quarter. He also threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore before halftime, then delivered the decisive 34-yard strike to Palmer in the fourth quarter. The two-point attempt after Palmer’s score failed.

Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud completed 26 of 38 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns and ran twice for 15 yards. The 6-foot-3, 218-pound quarterback from Inland Empire, California, threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Nico Collins with 26 seconds left in the second quarter and a 7-yard touchdown pass to David Montgomery with 13:34 remaining in the fourth. David Montgomery also scored on 1-yard and 18-yard runs. Ka’imi Fairbairn made a 58-yard field goal with 6:44 left in the fourth quarter to put Houston ahead 31-30. Fairbairn made all four of his extra-point attempts.

Buffalo opened the scoring on Tyler Bass’s 46-yard field goal with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter. Houston answered with Montgomery’s 1-yard touchdown run and Fairbairn’s extra point. After Allen’s 21-yard scramble and Bass’s extra point, Montgomery scored again from 18 yards. Allen then ran 1 yard for a touchdown, and he found Moore for 43 yards as Buffalo took a 24-14 lead. Stroud’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Collins trimmed the deficit to 24-21 at halftime. Bass made a 34-yard field goal in the third quarter, and after Stroud hit Montgomery for a 7-yard score, Bass made a 33-yard field goal. Fairbairn’s long kick gave Houston a one-point lead before Allen’s late touchdown pass to Palmer. The failed two-point attempt left the score at 36-31. The teams combined for eight touchdowns, four field goals and seven extra points.

Buffalo’s defense finished with a heavy workload. Terrel Bernard recorded 12 tackles, Dorian Williams had nine, C.J. Gardner-Johnson had eight and Cole Bishop had seven. Deone Walker added six tackles and one sack, while Greg Rousseau had four tackles and two sacks. Ed Oliver, Michael Hoecht and Christian Benford each had five tackles. Bradley Chubb finished with four tackles. Javon Solomon, Joe Andreessen and Maxwell Hairston each had three tackles. Damar Hamlin, TJ Parker, Kaleb Elarms-Orr, Dee Alford, Davison Igbinosun, Keleki Latu, DeWayne Carter and Greg Gaines each had two tackles. Jordan Hancock and Landon Jackson each had one tackle. O’Cyrus Torrence contributed on the offensive line.

Houston’s defense was led by Azeez Al-Shaair with eight tackles. Reed Blankenship had seven, Jalen Pitre and Calen Bullock each had six, Derek Stingley Jr. had four and Kamari Lassiter had three. Cade Stover recorded two tackles to go with one catch for minus-2 yards. Marlin Klein had one catch for 16 yards, Jared Wayne had one for 12 yards, Foster Moreau had two for 15 yards, Kayshon Boutte had one for 21 yards, Xavier Hutchinson had three for 32 yards and Dalton Schultz had four for 35 yards.

Dalton Kincaid led Buffalo with five receptions for 130 yards. DJ Moore had five catches for 100 yards and a touchdown, Khalil Shakir had four for 50, and Joshua Palmer’s lone reception went for the 34-yard game-winner. James Cook III ran 13 times for 57 yards and caught three passes for 12 yards. Greg Dortch returned three kickoffs for 82 yards and two punts for 10 yards. Tommy Doman Jr. punted twice for 109 yards, and Tyler Bass made all three of his field goals and all three of his extra points. Bass made field goals from 46, 34 and 33 yards. Keon Coleman had one catch for 1 yard, Dawson Knox had one for 7 yards, and Frank Gore Jr. had one run for 3 yards.

Buffalo will next host Detroit on Thursday, Sept. 17. Houston will host Cincinnati on Sunday, Sept. 20. Buffalo’s following games include the L.A. Chargers at Buffalo on Sunday, Sept. 27; New England at Buffalo on Sunday, Oct. 4; Buffalo at the L.A. Rams on Monday, Oct. 12; Buffalo at Las Vegas on Sunday, Oct. 18; Baltimore at Buffalo on Sunday, Nov. 1; Buffalo at Minnesota on Monday, Nov. 9; Buffalo at the N.Y. Jets on Sunday, Nov. 15; Miami at Buffalo on Sunday, Nov. 22; and Kansas City at Buffalo on Thursday, Nov. 26. Houston’s following games include Houston at Indianapolis on Sunday, Sept. 27; Dallas at Houston on Sunday, Oct. 4; Houston at Tennessee on Sunday, Oct. 11; Houston at Jacksonville on Sunday, Oct. 18; the N.Y. Giants at Houston on Sunday, Oct. 25; Houston at the L.A. Chargers on Sunday, Nov. 8; Houston at Cleveland on Sunday, Nov. 15; Indianapolis at Houston on Thursday, Nov. 19; and Baltimore at Houston on Sunday, Nov. 29.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Houston 30, Buffalo 24. Interstat’s ELO system gave Houston a 63.7 percent probability to win. Houston was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus 1.5. The total score of 67 went under the over/under line of 44.5.