Wyoming Professional Athletes

Allen Makes History in a Loss — Then Faces the Noise

Josh Allen's week started with a record and ended with a reckoning.

The Wyoming product etched his name into Buffalo Bills history during Sunday's 29-26 home loss to the New England Patriots, claiming the franchise's all-time record for rushing and receiving touchdowns. The milestone arrived on a day that otherwise went sideways: Allen finished with 253 passing yards, one touchdown, one interception, and just four rushing yards — a stark departure from the dual-threat explosiveness Bills fans have come to expect.

The loss — Buffalo's first of the season, dropping the Bills to 3-1 — was costly in the most literal sense. Allen took the blame for a late interception that effectively sealed the game, admitting postgame he should have thrown the ball away rather than forcing the attempt. The turnover drew sharp reviews, with analysts pointing to it as one of the decisive moments in a game that slipped away at home against a Patriots team quarterbacked by Drake Maye, who found Efton Chism for the go-ahead score late.

The four rushing yards sparked something else entirely: a wave of social media speculation that Allen was nursing a knee injury after a helmet struck the area during the game. Allen addressed it directly on Thursday at the Bills' facility, categorically denying any structural concern. He pushed back on the viral injury theories — amplified by sports doctors analyzing video online — calling them without merit. His Week 5 injury designation and the Bills' preparation timeline bore that out heading into Sunday's matchup with the Los Angeles Rams.

That game brings its own level of scrutiny. Rams coaches spent the week publicly dissecting what makes Allen difficult to stop, while analysts questioned whether Buffalo's 3-1 start was a product of a soft early schedule. Steve Smith Sr. added a pointed external voice, delivering a warning to Allen about what the Rams defense could expose. Meanwhile, CBS Sports raised the uncomfortable question of whether the Bills' record flatters a team that has yet to be truly tested — a framing that stung more after the Patriots loss.

Allen heads into the Rams game healthy by all accounts, still holding that franchise record, and carrying the particular chip that comes with a week's worth of second-guessing.

Around the Rest of Wyoming's NFL Alumni

Two other Cowboys made news — neither for good reasons.

Andrew Wingard left Sunday's Cardinals loss to the Giants (24-36) with a knee injury, though he reportedly received encouraging news on the severity in the days that followed. The Arizona starting safety's status will be worth monitoring as the Cardinals navigate a difficult stretch.

Marcus Epps was among the Eagles players listed as unavailable in Philadelphia's Week 4 loss to the Rams, contributing to a growing injury report that has put the Eagles' depth under significant strain. Whether Epps is back in the lineup for Week 5 remained a key storyline for Philadelphia heading into the new week.

For Wyoming alumni watching across the NFL, it was a week defined almost entirely by one former Cowboy — and he gave them both a reason to celebrate and plenty to think about.

Josh Allen Is Running Through History

Six rushing touchdowns in three games. That's where Wyoming's Josh Allen sits through the first three weeks of the 2026 NFL season — tied with Ravens running back Derrick Henry for the league lead and chasing what would be a record start for any player at any position.

Allen got there the hard way in Week 3. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, he threw for just 204 yards, tossed two interceptions, and looked every bit like a quarterback having an off day. Then he rushed for two more touchdowns, Buffalo rallied for a 24-16 win, and the Bills star walked off at 3-0 with his MVP case somehow still intact.

That's the Allen paradox in full display: even when the passing game sputters, his legs keep the Bills afloat. Buffalo is averaging 155 rushing yards per game — fourth-best in the NFL — and Allen is a significant reason why. The Bills' offensive approach has drawn fan backlash over how often Allen is asked to carry the ball, and offensive coordinator Joe Brady has been urged to better protect a quarterback described in reports as "banged-up." Still, the formula is working.

Allen is one of only four players in NFL history to record six or more rushing touchdowns in nine straight seasons, per Heavy Sports — a milestone the Bills publicized heading into the week. The Chargers win cost him at least one entry in the record books (he surrendered an unnamed distinction by throwing those two picks), but the rushing TD pace more than compensates for the historical footnotes lost.

Pro Football Talk's MVP tracker still has Allen as the clear frontrunner entering Week 4, with Brock Purdy described as the nearest challenger — but not yet close.

A Divisional Test Awaits

Allen's Week 4 opponent, the New England Patriots, spent the week openly wrestling with how to stop him. Defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr acknowledged the central dilemma: the first play against Allen is diagnosable. Everything after the play breaks down is not. Several Patriots defenders echoed the sentiment, noting Allen's ability to extend plays and punish mistakes with both his arm and legs.

Allen, for his part, sent a public warning to New England about their tendency to blitz — suggesting he's already anticipating how to exploit their approach.

New England elevated cornerback Kindle Vildor and safety Mike Brown from the practice squad ahead of the game, underscoring just how seriously they're treating Allen's rushing threat.

On the Wyoming alumni sidebar: fellow Cowboy Chad Muma, a linebacker listed on the Patriots' roster, worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 2 per Heavy Sports, raising questions about his status in New England. Muma did not factor into the Bills-Patriots buildup in any reported capacity.

Elsewhere Among Wyoming Alumni

Safety Marcus Epps missed the Eagles' Week 4 game against the Rams with a groin injury after being limited — then absent — from practice during the week. The Eagles ruled him out officially alongside several other starters. Epps had been part of a Philadelphia safety rotation that, per reports, struggled in the season's opening weeks.

Saints defensive end Carl Granderson was ruled out for New Orleans' Monday night game against the Falcons, joining linebacker Kaden Elliss on the inactive list for that divisional matchup.

The headline, though, belongs entirely to Allen. Six rushing TDs, three wins, an MVP lead, and a divisional showdown with a team that just admitted — publicly — it doesn't quite know how to stop him.

The Allen Era Reaches New Heights

It's been a long time since a quarterback from Laramie, Wyoming commanded the entire NFL's attention. But seven years into his Bills tenure, Josh Allen isn't just commanding it — he's dominating the conversation in a way that few players ever have.

Allen claimed his 19th AFC Offensive Player of the Week award following his performance in the first regular-season game at the new $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, putting on a vintage display in front of what he's already calling a "special" home-field atmosphere. That award total is historic in its own right — a staggering accumulation that underscores Allen's sustained excellence at the game's most demanding position.

The hardware is only part of the story. Allen is off to what Pro Football Talk is calling a historic start to the 2026 season, and the betting markets have taken notice. After Week 1, his MVP odds tightened from +600 to +500, and they've continued to move in his favor since. He now sits at or near the top of the MVP board — a position that's felt inevitable for anyone watching him operate.

Even Tom Brady weighed in, calling Allen's play "very dangerous football" in his NFL power rankings segment for Fox Sports. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin issued what amounted to a formal warning to the rest of the league about the Bills' hot start. And retired quarterback Russell Wilson went on CBS's pregame show to boldly predict that Buffalo will finally reach the Super Bowl in February 2027.

The internal narrative around Allen is just as compelling as the external praise. Bills first-year head coach Joe Brady — while acknowledging the hot start — issued a challenge to his quarterback this week, hinting publicly that there's still more he wants to see from Allen on the field. It's a bold message to send to a player playing at an MVP level, but it speaks to the standard Buffalo has set for itself in 2026.

Off the field, Allen and wife Hailee Steinfeld shared an update on their daughter Harper in the lead-up to Week 3 — a rare personal moment of brightness amid an already-electric start to the season.

The Rest of Wyoming's NFL Contingent

While Allen dominates headlines, two other Cowboys alumni quietly picked up Week 2 action. Marcus Epps logged a start at safety for the Philadelphia Eagles in their 24-20 win over the Tennessee Titans — though the Eagles' secondary has come under broader scrutiny after two weeks, with Philadelphia reportedly monitoring the trade market for safety help. Carl Granderson was in the mix for the Saints in their 24-17 upset win over Baltimore, and Andrew Wingard suited up for the Cardinals in a 31-7 loss to Seattle.

Two games into the 2026 NFL season, Josh Allen isn't just playing well — he's rewriting record books.

The Wyoming product and Buffalo Bills quarterback has been utterly dominant to open the year, throwing for 582 yards and accounting for nine total touchdowns across wins over the Houston Texans (36-31) and Detroit Lions (41-31). That two-game stretch ranks among the most productive starts in NFL history, and the numbers only tell part of the story.

The Numbers Are Staggering

In Week 1 against Houston's vaunted defense, Allen carved up the Texans for 334 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, and two rushing scores. That would have been a career-defining performance for most quarterbacks. For Allen, it was a warm-up act.

Week 2 was the headliner. On Thursday Night Football, Allen christened Buffalo's new Highmark Stadium with a five-touchdown masterpiece — three through the air, two on the ground — torching Detroit for 248 passing yards and 69 rushing yards in a 41-31 Bills victory. He did it while reportedly fighting flu-like symptoms, a detail that drew scrutiny toward the Bills organization for not listing him on the injury report but did nothing to diminish the performance itself.

The Bills became the first team to accomplish a specific historical benchmark in that game — one the franchise announced within minutes of the final whistle — cementing the night as something beyond a routine Week 2 win.

MVP Conversation Is Already Over (Sort Of)

The betting markets haven't been subtle. Allen entered the week as the +260 favorite on FanDuel Sportsbook to win NFL MVP, per CBS Sports, and that number figures to tighten further after the Lions performance. Bleacher Report confirmed his odds as the clear frontrunner following the Thursday night game, with Caleb Williams the distant second choice per Yahoo Sports.

Former Super Bowl-winning quarterback Russell Wilson publicly predicted Allen will take home MVP honors. CBS Sports went further, declaring the award "already Allen's to lose" after just two weeks. The unanimous nature of that sentiment — oddsmakers, analysts, and former players all pointing the same direction — is notable this early in the season.

Around the Wyoming Alumni Network

Allen's spotlight is understandably blinding, but other Cowboys were active in Week 1. Saints defensive end Carl Granderson recorded a sack in New Orleans' 30-31 loss to Detroit, and the former Wyoming pass-rusher drew attention beyond the box score — he publicly outlined how the Saints plan to handle Ravens QB Lamar Jackson ahead of their Week 2 matchup, drawing early-week buzz in Baltimore.

Cardinals safety Andrew Wingard hauled in an interception during Arizona's 26-14 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 1, while Marcus Epps (Eagles) and Treyton Welch (Saints) also appeared in their respective Week 1 contests.

But make no mistake: this is Allen's fortnight. The Laramie product is playing at a level that transcends weekly storylines. Through two games, the argument that he's the best player in professional football is looking less like a hot take and more like a simple statement of fact.