Ryans sets Texans’ offensive test against reworked Bills
Houston coach DeMeco Ryans says Buffalo’s changed coaching structure makes the season opener a fresh challenge, while Nico Collins backs C.J. Stroud to improve in 2026.
Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans has warned the Buffalo Bills that his team is prepared for the challenge of the 2026 season opener, while identifying the Texans’ offence as the key to building on last season’s defensive performance.
Ryans praised Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen, running back James Cook and new receiver DJ Moore, but said the Bills should not be assessed solely on Houston’s recent results against them. The Texans have won their past two meetings with Buffalo.
“This is a new Buffalo Bills team,” Ryans said, pointing to changes involving the head coach and coordinators across all three phases. The source comments were reported by Yahoo Sports.
Houston’s defence ranked first overall last season, according to Ryans, but the team began the previous campaign 0–3 as its offence struggled to produce consistently. The Texans are 1–2 in regular-season openers under Ryans.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud enters a pivotal third season after recording 3,041 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions across 14 starts in 2025. He completed 64.5 per cent of his passes.
Receiver Nico Collins said Stroud is in the best position of his career and backed him to show what he can do during the 2026 season. The comments frame the opener as an early test of whether Houston’s offence can match the expectations placed on its defence.
