Three key takeaways from the Houston Texans' Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Houston Texans lost an incredible game to the Buffalo Bills in Week 1 by a final score of 36-31, which demonstrated how tough it really is to start the season off 1-0.
In the Texans' loss, there were some bright spots, but also some things that need to be improved, so let's take a look at the top three takeaways from Sunday afternoon.
1. David Montgomery Looked Pretty Impressive
To start, running back David Montgomery looked very impressive in the run game but also out of the backfield in the passing game.
On the ground, Montgomery ran the ball 20 times for 60 yards, averaged 3.0 yards per carry, and recorded two touchdowns. As a receiver, Montgomery caught three passes for 19 yards and one score. With that said, when Montgomery's number was called by the Texans he delivered and gave this team a great chance to win.
So, as Houston heads into Week 2, it will be interesting to watch if Montgomery gets an even bigger workload and if he can help this offense have yet another impressive performance.
2. The Defense Has Some Adjustments To Make
The second takeaway is the fact that the Texans' defense has some adjustments to make after allowing quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills' offense to do a little bit of everything.
For the game, Allen went 20/29 and totaled 334 passing yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions, as well as adding 23 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. With all that production, Allen was able to complete several deep passes, but also extended plays with his legs, which is something the Texans needed to do a much better job of stopping.
Based on that, as the Texans head into next week, if the defense can get more pressure and hold up better in coverage, Houston should be able to have a much better overall defensive performance.
3. CJ Stroud Started Off the Season Strong
The final takeaway from this game was the fact that quarterback CJ Stroud actually showed a lot of promise that he could have a bounce-back year.
In this game, Stroud completed 26 of his 38 passes for 274 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. Throughout the game, Stroud showcased his ability to respond, which was great to see. However, Stroud did fumble twice, which did ultimately cost the Texans, but as long as he cleans that up, this offense seems to be in good hands moving forward.
So, as Stroud and this offense look ahead to next week, it is very possible they could have another great performance as long as they take care of the ball and Stroud plays confidently just like he did against the Bills.
