Of all the ways Josh Allen’s 2026 season could have started, it will start in Houston, the one place he has never won. The Buffalo Bills are scheduled to take on the Houston Texans in Week 1 at NRG Stadium, where Allen is 0-4 and has never scored more than 20 points. The worst of those four losses came last November with a 23-19 defeat, where he was sacked eight times and threw two interceptions. With a new coach in Joe Brady, Allen is determined to rewrite that story this time around. He made that clear when asked about the schedule.

“I know that we got the Houston game one. The only thing that really strikes out to me is the first game,” Allen said on the Centered on Buffalo Podcast. “It’s in Houston, a place that I particularly haven’t played very well at, so I gotta do everything in my power to kinda change that narrative.”

Across five career meetings, including playoffs, Josh Allen holds a 1-4 record against the Texans. His only win came in Buffalo, never in Houston. His passer rating against them sits at 74.0, well below his career average of 94.4.

Last November was the low point of that history. Texans safety Calen Bullock single-handedly dismantled the Bills’ offense, forcing three turnovers, including two interceptions and the game-ending pick. Allen’s career-high of eight sacks cost Buffalo 70 yards in lost yardage in the game. It could have been far worse for the Bills if it weren’t for the illegal blindside block that took away a Texans pick-six in the second quarter.

The Bills recovered from that defeat and finished the season with a 12-5 record. They also won their first playoff road game since 1993 against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wildcard, before falling short in the Divisional Round. Yet, what makes that playoff run even more remarkable is what Allen was playing through the entire time – a broken foot.

Is Josh Allen’s foot finally behind him?

The Bills’ QB1 first felt it in Week 16 against the Cleveland Browns. Trying to escape unanimous Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, the man who broke the NFL single-season sack record with 23 sacks in 2025, Allen suffered a fracture in his right foot. He aggravated it during the Week 17 game against the Philadelphia Eagles, then played through it in the Wild Card win against the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Divisional Round loss to the Denver Broncos.

Nobody knew how bad it was until January 29, when he showed up to Joe Brady’s introductory press conference on crutches and in a walking boot. He underwent surgery shortly after. Four months later, Allen is back at OTAs, talking about what the recovery actually looked like.

“A little bit different, a little more centered around the foot, and making sure that I was getting the right PT,” Josh Allen said on the Centered on Buffalo Podcast. “Even when I got back here, just making sure that we’re being smart with it. Certain exercises that I’ve kind of built into it. But I do feel great. But it’s just making sure I’m staying on top of it and not letting it become an issue. But yeah, we’re in a good spot.”

Josh Allen has done everything right this offseason, and so have the Bills. With the team carrying high expectations for a Super Bowl run, a strong start against the Texans would go a long way in setting the tone for what they hope will be a special season.