DJ Moore delivered an immediate payoff in his Buffalo debut, turning a brief second-quarter burst into the momentum swing of the Bills’ 36-31 win over the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Josh Allen threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, added two rushing scores, and found Joshua Palmer for the decisive 34-yard touchdown with 1:36 left, but Moore’s downfield impact helped Buffalo solve a Houston defense that had overwhelmed the Bills a year earlier.
Moore sparks Buffalo’s second-quarter surge
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Buffalo did not send a target Moore’s way until under five minutes remained in the second quarter. On the Bills’ fourth possession, Allen hit him for 18 yards on a play-action post route, moving the ball to Houston’s 47-yard line.
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On the following snap, Allen took a shot to Moore in the end zone. Cornerback Kamari Lassiter interfered with Moore on the 46-yard play, placing Buffalo near the goal line.
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After an incomplete pass intended for Khalil Shakir nearly turned into a Houston pick-six, the Bills used a tush push for an Allen touchdown. The three-play, 65-yard series lasted 49 seconds.
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Buffalo’s next possession began at its own 4-yard line. Allen escaped pressure and lofted a 38-yard completion to Dalton Kincaid, then connected with Moore for 15 yards on an in-breaking route.
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Allen then launched a deep pass toward Moore down the right boundary. Houston had a Cover 2 look, with Derek Stingley Jr. underneath Moore and safety Reed Blankenship closing from behind. Blankenship narrowly missed an interception, and Moore secured the ball, checked his footing near the sideline, then finished the touchdown.
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The 96-yard touchdown drive took only 41 seconds and gave Buffalo a 24-14 advantage. Moore’s three receptions plus the pass-interference penalty accounted for 122 yards during two possessions that lasted a combined 90 seconds.
“Dang,” Moore said when told of the total. “That’s a great day.”
Allen described the throw on Moore’s touchdown as another “horseshoe throw,” noting that Blankenship missed the ball by only a whisker. Right tackle Spencer Brown said the pass sailed directly above him and praised Moore’s body control after the catch.
“We told DJ in the preseason not to get used to long drives,” Brown said. “Six plays in 90 seconds — it was all a blur to me.”
Historic production against Houston
Moore finished with five catches for 100 yards, reaching the century mark in overtime. It was his first 100-yard outing since November 2024, when he played for the Chicago Bears, and his first such performance in regulation since the previous month.
He did not make another catch after roughly five minutes had elapsed in the third quarter, but remained an important concern for Houston’s coverage. Moore played all but nine offensive snaps before limping off during the final drive. He visited the blue medical tent twice, once to be stretched and again for a check, but returned and said after the game that he was not injured.
Palmer’s game-winning touchdown was his only reception. It concluded another 96-yard Buffalo march, making the Bills the fifth team since the NFL began tracking drives in 1993 to produce two 96-yard drives in one game. Buffalo had never previously done it.
Kincaid also posted a landmark day, catching five passes for 130 yards. No Bills tight end had gained more yards in a game since Paul Costa did so twice in 1967. Buffalo had previously featured both a 100-yard wide receiver and 100-yard tight end only once: Andre Reed and Pete Metzelaars against the San Francisco 49ers in the 1992 No Punt Game.
The Texans had not surrendered at least 36 points in a game since the close of the 2023 season. The contest included nine lead changes, including five before halftime.
Buffalo sees a larger role ahead
Moore called the performance a preview of what Buffalo’s offense can become.
“It can only get better from here,” he said.
Brown said Moore has fit naturally into the locker room and offense, praising the receiver as a team-first player who brings positive energy rather than demanding touches.
Moore said the Bills still did not play a complete game, despite escaping Houston with Allen’s late touchdown pass and a 36-31 victory. “The best is yet to come,” he said. “Once we play a clean game, we’ll show who we really are.”
Elsewhere Sunday
Washington Commanders wide receiver Stefon Diggs caught four of nine targets for 55 yards and a touchdown in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Diggs was also flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.
