Bills win season opener in Houston as Greg Rousseau records two strip sacks
Buffalo defeated the Houston Texans 36-31 in Week 1, with outside linebacker Greg Rousseau delivering two strip-sack turnovers that helped secure the victory.
The Buffalo Bills opened the season with a 36-31 road win over the Houston Texans, improving to 1-0 after a game that featured two decisive defensive plays by outside linebacker Greg Rousseau. Early in the first drive, Rousseau rushed around the edge and stripped quarterback C.J. Stroud, forcing a fumble that was recovered by the Bills and led to a field goal and a 3-0 lead. With seconds remaining, he repeated the play, again sacking Stroud and forcing a turnover that sealed the win.
Rousseau finished the game with four tackles, five quarterback hits and the two strip sacks, contributing to the Bills' total of two forced turnovers. The performance marked his first appearance as a stand-up edge rusher from the outside-linebacker position, and he also recorded a pass breakup while dropping into coverage.
The victory ended a streak of four losses in the Bills' previous trips to Houston. Quarterback Josh Allen led the offense, but the defensive impact of Rousseau was highlighted as a potential game-changing factor for the team this season.