David Montgomery found the end zone three times in his first game as a Texan, the most by any player in their debut in team history, per NFL Pro.
The running back was nonetheless disappointed with his outing, both due to failing to come away with a victory and what he believes was personally a subpar performance.
"It was cool, but it didn't really feel that cool or that good when we don't come out with a win," Montgomery told Andrew Siciliano on Friday's episode of *NFL Report*. "And I didn't perform or play as good as I wanted to. I felt like I left a few things out there for my O-line and for the rest of my guys on the team. I'll improve. First game. It was cool, but we didn't get the win."
Montgomery was key to helping the Texans keep up with the Bills in an eventual 36-31 loss, opening his TD hat trick with a 1-yard plunge before later dashing through a huge hole for 18 yards to paydirt. His third score came on 7-yard catch, Montgomery's first TD reception since his 2022 campaign with the Bears.
All three scores changed the lead in Houston's favor.
Montgomery is correct in pointing out he left some opportunities on the field, though. His frequent trips to the end zone obscured an uncharacteristically inefficient performance, as the 29-year-old averaged only 3.0 yards per carry, producing 60 yards on 20 attempts. It's obviously a small sample size, but Montgomery has strung together four straight seasons averaging 4.0-plus yards per carry, so he knows he's capable of more.
He believes the Texans are, as well, with hopes that will start to show on Sunday in another potential playoff preview against the Bengals.
"Just another game to me, quite frankly," Montgomery said of facing his hometown Cincinnati squad. "Preparing the same way that I always prepare. Going against another great defense. They made a lot of improvements this offseason. It'll be exciting. It'll be good to see where we are, see if we can get on track to get our first W."
