Josh Allen torches one of NFL's best defenses to make case it's time to move on from 2025 playoff loss

Josh Allen finished last season in tears and the sight of one of the NFL's great players sobbing in the Buffalo Bills locker room after a playoff loss to the Denver Broncos led ownership to fire head coach Sean McDermott.

That memory of that scene and the burden it put on Allen was buried on Sunday.

Josh Allen played sensationally against the Houston Texans in a stirring 36-31 game this day.

And this means stuff: It means new Bills coach Joe Brady won his head coaching debut.

It means the Bills have just sent the NFL the message that they remain a Super Bowl contender for 2026 because, well, the Texans team they just beat are a Super Bowl contender.

And it means Josh Allen has already joined the MVP race in earnest after he exorcised the ghosts of his horrible postseason performance and that loss which haunted all offseason.

Allen also made the statement that he can indeed play up to his standard even against the Texans .

"We do like Reliant Stadium, woo-hoo!" Allen exclaimed after the game.

"It feels good.

It feels good to start the season off right.

Obviously coach Joe getting his first win as an NFL head coach ... really happy for him. [He] called a heck of a game." JOSH ALLEN DELIVERS FULL-THROATED UNSOLICITED DEFENSE OF BUFFALO BILLS' HIDEOUS NEW UNIFORMS The Texans had dominated Allen in five previous games.

The Texans won four of those and limited Allen to 196 passing yards per game.

Not this game.

Allen played up to his billing this time.