Josh Allen on an MVP mission as his 5 TDs help Bills destroy Lions 41-31 in first game at new Highmark Stadium

Matthew Stafford won NFL MVP last season, but few questioned Josh Allen's standing as the top quarterback in the league. Allen had settled into an elite level that few players have reached. And then, to start the 2026 season, Allen had a surprise for everyone. He apparently was capable of leveling up. Allen is playing the best football of his career, and that's saying something. The Buffalo Bills quarterback has one MVP award already and a second one seems inevitable given the first couple games of the season, Allen was a force in a 41-31 victory over the Detroit Lions, which was the first regular-season game in $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium. Allen had 248 passing yards, 69 rushing yards, 3 passing touchdowns and 2 rushing touchdowns. He has 10 games with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. Nobody else in NFL history has more than four, via Josh Dubow of the Associated Press. Thursday night's game followed up another phenomenal performance, as Allen torched a very good Houston Texans defense in Week 1 including a game-winning touchdown in the final minutes of a 36-31 win. The Bills got off to a scorching start. Allen had 154 passing yards and three touchdowns, with 40 rushing yards and a touchdown, and there was still 2:52 left in the second quarter. The Lions' defense is decimated due to injuries in the secondary, but it's still not easy to put up those numbers in a half. The Bills had 299 yards and 20 first downs at halftime, and were averaging 8.3 yards per play. The Lions made it a game by getting a field goal at the end of the first half and a touchdown to begin the second half. They trailed 27-17 at that point. Allen answered with a long drive, capping it with his second rushing touchdown of the night. Detroit looked helpless.It's going to be difficult for Allen to keep up this pace or anything close because that would be unprecedented in NFL history. But it's also possible we're in the early stages of witnessing a truly historic season. Josh Allen is off to a scorching start this NFL season.AP Photo/Jeffrey T. BarnesJosh Allen has another huge nightThe Bills had the motivation of a hyped-up crowd for the first game in a new $2.2 billion Highmark Stadium. The start they had was stunning. The Bills drove downfield easily to start the game, and it ended with Allen scoring the first touchdown in the stadium's history on a 1-yard sneak. The second drive ended with Joshua Palmer running wide open downfield, no Lion within 10 yards of him, and Allen finding him for a 43-yard touchdown. The Bills were ready to put on a show during a historic night. The Lions' injured secondary was no match for the NFL's best quarterback.Allen got touchdown passes on each of the Bills' next two drives as well. He threw one to Dawson Knox and another to Dalton Kincaid. Allen's skills haven't been seen often in NFL history. He's a powerful runner who is already tied for 18th all time in career rushing touchdowns because he's hard to stop near the goal line. He has rare arm talent, and worked to become one of the NFL's more accurate quarterbacks. He can throw from the pocket or use his escapability to get away from the rush and find someone downfield. He's as well-rounded as any quarterback we've seen, and all of his skills seem to be peaking this season. Lions struggle to slow down BillsThe Lions were on the wrong side of a memorable night in Buffalo. Detroit's defense started the season well but has fallen apart since early in the third quarter of Week 1. The Saints' final six drives last week resulted in four touchdowns, a field goal and a missed field goal. The Bills' first four drives Thursday resulted in touchdowns. Finally, with 44 seconds left in the half against the Bills, the Lions got a stop on third down and forced a punt. When the Bills didn't get a huge gain on a play or have the Lions commit a penalty, it was a surprise. Buffalo was doing whatever it wanted. The Lions offered very little resistance. The Lions have significant questions about their defense. But the Texans looked bad on defense last week too. Many Bills opponents will. Joe Brady took over at head coach after serving as offensive coordinator last season, and he seems more willing to open up the offense than Sean McDermott was. That helps Allen, as does the health of Kincaid and DJ Moore, who unfortunately left Thursday's game with a shoulder injury. It's a great setup for Allen to have a career year, when he was already on a Hall of Fame path. Allen will have a good shot to win his second MVP award, but that's not what Allen or the Bills are chasing. They want a Super Bowl. With Allen looking like he is hitting a new peak, there might not be anything holding Buffalo back from it this season.