Texans open season against the Bills

Texans open season against the Bills

The Texans play the Bills on Sunday in their season opener at Reliant Stadium.

Why it matters: Houston, home to one of the league's best defenses, has spent the off season trying to level up its offense to match.

  • Sunday's game gives us our first serious look at whether those efforts have paid off.

    • The big picture: The Texans added veteran running back David Montgomery and invested heavily in their offensive line.

  • The team also added rookie guard Keylan Rutledge.

    • What they're saying: "I don't want to have a lopsided team where everybody talks about how great the defense is, and the offense is just the offense," head coach DeMeco Ryans told the Houston Chronicle.

  • "I want the same intensity level, I want the same relentless mindset from our offense as we do on defense, and we're getting there."

    • Yes, but: The loss of wideout Jayden Higgins to an ACL tear last month will hurt.

    Between the lines: This is a pivotal year for quarterback C.J. Stroud, who had a great rookie season but has proved inconsistent since.

    👀 What we're watching: Houston has reportedly offered Stroud a contract extension in the range of the league's $50 million-a-year quarterbacks, per ESPN, but he seems prepared to play the season without signing it.