Buffalo Bills head coach Joe Brady, defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael all met with the media on Monday after a 36-31 victory over the Houston Texans.

Here's what they had to say about the impressive victory, as well as how they're preparing for another tough matchup in Week 2.

Tight ends galore

Finding a way to score against the Texans' strong defense was the main focal point throughout the week leading up to Sunday. They did just that by putting up 36 points in the win, the most any opponent has scored against Houston since 2023.

Brady and Carmichael went into the matchup wanting to dictate the game with their offense, coming up with a game plan that proved effective. What stuck out the most was their use of 13 personnel (one running back and three tight ends), getting as many big bodies in the game as possible.

"Any time we're putting that personnel group on the field, I'm feeling pretty positive about what's going to happen," Carmichael said. "That can change week to week, depending on who you're playing, maybe how they match it and stuff like that, but that group brings a lot of versatility and a lot of production."

Buffalo had three tight ends on the field for 21 plays on Sunday, tied for the most (Los Angeles Rams) among all NFL teams in Week 1 using 13 personnel. With that grouping, the Bills tallied 138 total yards, the second most among NFL teams in Week 1.

In the first half, Buffalo rushed for 42 yards on the ground in 13 personnel, averaging 5.3 per carry, with a rushing touchdown. The three-tight end set was effective in the passing game as well, earning 43 passing yards in the second half while averaging 10.8 yards per attempt.

"We have four tight ends [active], to be able to get in that [personnel] and see what groupings they were going to throw out there, and we felt like that was an advantage to us [on Sunday]," Brady said. "And that doesn't mean it will be moving forward, but [on Sunday], I felt like that was something that we were able to hang our hat on."

TE Dalton Kincaid was the main beneficiary of the increased usage of his position against the Texans. The 26-year-old tallied a career-high 130 receiving yards in the win, including three catches for 35 yards or more.

After missing some time and playing a chunk of the 2025 season banged up, Buffalo having Kincaid back to full strength immediately paid dividends.

"He was outstanding [on Sunday], and he was outstanding in the run game as well," Brady said. "It allowed us to be able to keep him out on the football field and do some of the things that we wanted to do."

DC Leonhard assesses Week 1 performance

Jim Leonhard called his first game as the Bills defensive coordinator on Sunday, with his unit showing plenty of impressive moments along with some areas to work on. The defense started and ended the day with huge turnovers that eventually proved to be the difference, but had some hiccups in between.

The 43-year-old coordinator explained earlier in training camp that his defense may take some time to get some kinks worked out, but he was happy with the win regardless. The bones of the new scheme were solid against a Houston offense that features some big-time playmakers.

"The energy was there, the effort was there; The detail has got to get better," Leonhard said. "Not up to the standards. It was always great to get the win. But in a lot of ways, it did feel like Week 1, where when things started to unravel a little bit at times or just feel a little bit off, I thought guys looked around like they weren't sure what the answer should be."

The encouraging part is that Leonhard believes the issues are correctable. No one in the building expected an entire reconstruction of the defensive scheme to look like a perfect product in its first game, but having a successful baseline with a one in the win column is something to be proud of.

Now the work to keep improving continues. Leonhard got a good grasp on the main things he'll need to focus on moving forward, ready to keep taking steps in the right direction.

"I left watching the tape going, 'All right, we're closer. We're closer than it looked.' And I'm excited for where we're going," Leonhard said. "There's going to be some bumps in the road. And again, to go into a place like that and find a way to close it out and get a win, you take that for what it's worth.

"The standards are higher for what we want this defense to be. And it's our job to get there. There's a lot of things I want back myself, as I'm sure some players want some snaps back. That's the fun part of this game, man, we get a chance to go do it again on Thursday."

Keys to preparing for the short week

Week 2 features a new challenge of its own for the Bills, playing on Thursday Night Football with just three days in between games. The Detroit Lions are coming into town for the home opener quickly, giving Brady and his bunch limited time to prepare.

The first-time head coach didn't spend much time reflecting on his first victory, immediately turning his attention to the next matchup coming in a few days.

"A couple of people have asked me how I celebrated the win, and I went straight [home] and had to watch an overtime game," Brady said referencing the Lions-Saints ending. "That's part of the Thursday night games. We can sleep on Friday, but let's do everything we got to do to help put our guys in position to have success."

The staff is up for the challenge, feeling grateful that the short week comes early in the season. With just one game played for both teams this season, they can focus on a lot of the Lions' film that they've had access to since last season.

"The beauty of this Thursday game being Week 2, you knew there's only one game of new information that you had to scout," Leonhard said. "So you're able to get ahead of a little bit of things in camp, in the offseason, to where you're able to look ahead. When there's no new information for months and months, really, outside of the preseason, you're kind of able to get ahead of the game planning a little bit."

Taking time to recuperate after the Week 1 slugfest is what the staff is focused on to start, wanting the team to be ready to go back at it come Thursday night. They'll stick to what they've been preaching all offseason throughout the week, not wanting to reinvent the wheel before the quick turnaround.

"The plan, always at the beginning, is to get as much rest and recovery as they can," Carmichael said. "… As coaches, you make sure that the volume of what they're getting (are) plays they're going to be comfortable with."

Taking on another tough opponent coming off an overtime win on primetime has the team fired up. It's also the first regular-season game at Highmark Stadium, finally unveiling Buffalo's new home on the big stage.

Brady is focused on controlling what he can coming off a hot start to the year. At 1-0, the team still has a long season ahead, taking it one day at a time.

"Both teams played a lot of plays [on Sunday], and so there's going to be a lot of getting the bodies right and making sure that you're mentally sharp," Brady said. "It'll be an outstanding atmosphere and it's a matchup that everybody should be excited about."