I agree we'll see how the Texans handle, not just the Bills, but the rest of the season.
Last year the Texans ranked at or near the bottom in just about all defensive categories. Going into this season, there was just about a consensus that we all wanted to see the Texans improve defensively. "Middle of the pack" represents improvement.
Looking at individual game performance, especially against the more elite teams, is a different standard of appraisal. It was almost unanimously regarded that the 2021 Texans were a bottom tier team, especially talent wise.
Therefore it is not reasonable to gage individual performances but is very reasonable to gage how we stack up against the league as a whole.
I think we ought to remember that last year, the Texans started out against some tough competitions while the pressure was high (on both the coaches and the players).
They felt the pressure, most likely, and then came some injuries and frustration, like we saw with JJ Watt "outburst", and OB getting fired.
The team implodes.
Suspension for PED also played a part.
This team has little expectations, at least for the fans.
NC himself stressed the process, not results.
The players still want to perform, but they aren't facing as much pressure internally so they can play looser, at least for now.