Allen Leads Bills to Victory in Season Opener

Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills kicked off their season at the new Highmark Stadium with an impressive 41-31 win against the Detroit Lions on Thursday night. This victory marked a solid 2-0 start for the Bills, following their 36-31 win over the Houston Texans in Week 1. In total, they’ve managed to score 77 points across the first two weeks.

With this performance, Allen has made a compelling, albeit early, argument for his second MVP award.

On Thursday, Allen faced a Lions defense weakened by injuries and delivered an exceptional performance. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns, without throwing an interception, and added 69 rushing yards along with two rushing touchdowns.

By achieving this, Allen joins an exclusive group of players.

As sports commentator Tony Kornheiser might say, “that’s it, that’s the list.”

This strong showing came just after his performance against the Texans, who are often regarded as one of the league’s top defenses. In that Week 1 matchup, Allen completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards along with two touchdowns, further contributing with two rushing touchdowns. Sure, he had one throw that could have easily led to an interception, but he followed that with a remarkable completion up the field:

On a critical third-and-11, he delivered an absolute strike right between the coverage, resulting in a touchdown. Just typical quarterback stuff.

It’s also notable that despite the fresh start to this year, the Texans did not allow a single 300-yard passer throughout their entire 2025 season.

So far this year, Allen’s stats show that he has completed 66.7% of his passes, thrown five touchdowns, and maintained a clean slate with no interceptions, while also scoring four rushing touchdowns. His Adjusted Net Yards per Attempt sits at a staggering 10.4, significantly higher than the 8.0 ANY/A he recorded during his MVP-winning season in 2024, which was also a career high.

Now, I mean, sure, these numbers could dip as the season unfolds. But just watching him play, it’s hard to ignore how well he’s performing, and it definitely strengthens his “early season MVP” argument. There are these moments—like that precise throw to Joshua Palmer—followed by pressure-filled throws to his other receivers, including this one to Dalton Kincaid while he’s in his own end zone:

Or that tight throw to D.J. Moore, where if it were off by even an inch, it would have been incomplete—or worse.

Then there was another highlight from Thursday night where he converted a critical throw while rolling to his left, defenders closing in, and he still managed to get it off under pressure:

Just typical quarterback stuff.

However, it’s important to mention that Allen is one of just two quarterbacks who have already played two games this season. Other contenders for the MVP title will certainly have their chance to respond this weekend, starting with Lamar Jackson. Jackson made his own case for MVP last Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.

In that game, Jackson completed 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown, adding one more rushing touchdown. If you still think he struggles in the pocket, you might want to check out his well-placed 2nd-and-16 throw to Mark Andrews, threading it through defenders with pressure right in his face.

But Allen, who has consistently defied expectations, might already have some advantageous stats this season.

Indeed, there’s another short list that features Allen.

And let’s not forget the historical context working in his favor.