Sunday’s Week 1 matchup between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans — a 36-31 Buffalo win — was likely a playoff preview.
Both teams are expected to make deep postseason runs, and either team could easily clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The loss was painful enough for Houston, which led 31-30 before Josh Allen led a seven-play, 96-yard touchdown drive in the final 3:31 of the fourth quarter to steal away a win, but it was extra painful for one Texans player in particular.
Texans DE Disciplined for Hit on Bills QB Josh Allen
Texans defensive end Mario Edwards, who finished the game with one tackle, one pressure, one QB hit, and 0.5 sacks, per Pro Football Focus, chased Allen around all game.
He finally caught him in the third quarter, but it ended up costing him a pretty decent chunk of change.
The NFL reviewed every play to determine if any players should be fined or receive supplemental discipline for their actions during Week 1, and Edwards was fined $8,263 for a hit on Allen that resulted in a 15-yard roughing-the-passer penalty.
The league determined Edwards made contact “in the knee area or below a passer” on Allen after hitting him low by the knees. Fortunately for Bills fans, Allen was not injured on the play and he finished the game without issue.
Josh Allen Firmly Establishes Himself as MVP Frontrunner
Allen had an impressive showing against the Texans. He completed 20 of 29 passes for 334 yards and two touchdowns with a passer rating of 130.5. He also added 23 yards rushing and two more scores on the ground.
Days later against the Detroit Lions, Allen had another head-turning performance.
The $330 million QB completed 20 of 31 passes for 248 yards and three touchdowns with a passer rating of 121.4 while adding 69 yards rushing and two more scores. Through two games, Allen has accounted for 674 total yards (582 passing, 92 rushing) and nine total touchdowns (five passing, four rushing).
Allen has been so impressive that seemingly every NFL MVP conversation starts and ends with him. Following Buffalo’s 41-31 win over Detroit on “Thursday Night Football,” Allen is currently the betting favorite to win MVP with +260 odds, according to FanDuel.
Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (+650 odds), Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams (+1000), Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes (+1200), and Jacksonville Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence (+1300) round out the top five.
NFL Announces Punishment for Controversial Hit on Bills QB Josh Allen