Josh Allen didn’t just start the season with a strong showing in Houston. He put the Texans on notice.
Buffalo walked into a place where it had not won in 20 years, with Allen carrying just one previous victory against Houston. The matchup had been brutal on the Bills in recent seasons, especially last year when Allen was sacked eight times.
This time, the script flipped. Allen carved up a defense that had been billed as the league’s best entering the season, and he did it with the kind of performance that instantly feeds the MVP conversation.
The Bills quarterback threw for 334 yards and two touchdowns, including a clutch 34-yard strike to Joshua Palmer. He also added two rushing scores. And unlike the wreckage from last year’s meeting, Allen was taken down only twice, a major reason Buffalo’s offense was able to stay on schedule and keep moving.
That opener was enough for former NFL Super Bowl champion and current analyst Russell Wilson to make a bold early call. Wilson said Allen is “probably going to win MVP this year.”
" Will Josh Allen win his second MVP? I think that he has a definite chance to win it.
I'm calling it now, he's probably going to win it this year. I think he knows it's time for the Buffalo Bills.
New stadium, new all things, all things new, new coach. I think it's going to make a difference this year." said Wilson.
"Josh Allen is probably going to win the MVP this year." @DangeRussWilson makes an early MVP prediction on Set, Hut! pic.twitter.com/idKa2laVbS
- NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2026
There’s still a long season ahead, and one game never settles an award race. But Allen’s Week 1 performance stood out as the best of anyone in the league given the challenge in front of him, and it gives the MVP chatter real fuel.
Even so, the award may not be the biggest thing on Allen’s mind. He already owns one MVP, won two seasons ago, and the next step is bigger: getting the Bills to the Super Bowl.
Buffalo has reached two AFC championship games with Allen, but hasn’t gotten past that stage. That’s the real unfinished business.
Allen has already shown he belongs in the conversation with the league’s elite quarterbacks, and maybe even among the best dual-threat players the NFL has ever seen. But until he gets Buffalo to February’s biggest stage, the individual hardware will always feel secondary.
The MVP buzz is nice. The championship is the mission.
In Other News...
Bills Home Opener Is Becoming A Costly Headache For Fans
The Bills home opener against the Detroit Lions is turning into a planning exercise as much as a football date for fans hoping to be in Orchard Park. Hotel rooms near Highmark Stadium are scarce and expensive, and even getting a place to leave the car has become part of the scramble, with stadium parking already sold out and neighborhood lots left as the main backup.
With a big crowd expected, the game day logistics are getting tighter by the hour. Several roads around the stadium will close before kickoff, adding another layer for anyone making the trip, and it has turned what should be a straightforward opening weekend into a costly headache for Bills supporters trying to get in the door. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Fans Got The DJ Moore Update They Needed
DJ Moore gave the Bills something to keep an eye on after he was hurt on the final snap of Buffalos game against the Panthers, but the immediate concern has eased. Head coach Joe Brady later said Moore was good to go, and the receiver is not listed on Buffalos injury report heading into the next matchup with the Detroit Lions.
That is welcome news for a Bills offense that already saw what Moore can bring in his debut. He finished with five catches, 100 receiving yards and a touchdown, giving Buffalo a big-play presence that showed up right away and should matter again as the schedule stiffens. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Win Didnt Stop Jim Leonhard From Zeroing In On One Concern
Jim Leonhard had plenty to like after Buffalos 36-31 season-opening win over the Houston Texans, but the Bills defensive coordinator did not sound interested in treating the result as proof that everything was already in place. The score mattered, of course, and so did the way Buffalo opened the year with a victory, yet Leonhard still spent his review pointing out the defensive areas that need cleaning up as the Bills move deeper into September.
One of the clearer concerns came with inside linebacker Terrel Bernard, who played the entire game but showed up on the injury report the next day. For a defense trying to settle into Leonhards approach, those small turns can matter just as much as the big-picture result, and the early evaluation suggests Buffalos coordinator is keeping a firm eye on both the progress and the problems after a week one win. [Read more 🡒]