If a win is a win no matter the cost, then look no further than the Buffalo Bills’ 35-32 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. It wasn’t the prettiest, and it certainly wasn’t the cleanest, but the Bills, and more specifically quarterback Josh Allen, overcame a streaking Rams offense to move to 3-0.

Buffalo knows how to have a hot start. Last season, the Bills also opened the season 3-0 with only one come-from-behind win. This year, Buffalo has capitalized on early leads. In each of their first three wins of the 2020 season, the Bills have led by as many as 18 points in the first half. They again had a dominant start over the Rams in Week 3, but Allen and company quickly faced adversity in the second half.

Buffalo blew a 28-3 lead as Los Angeles scored 29 consecutive points after halftime. Allen, who was making a strong case to be a true MVP contender early in the game, was facing one of the biggest challenges so far this season: defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Donald is an MVP-caliber player in his own right and can produce a game-changing play in an instant. He sacked Allen, forced a fumble, and recovered the ball himself to bring on the offense for a lead-changing drive.

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When Allen came back onto the field, he was again in trouble more often than not in the Bills’ final offensive drive. He accrued his second personal foul of the half when he was flagged for a face mask penalty and was getting heavy pressure from the Rams. His last couple of throws, however, were indicative of the hype Allen has received and why, after this win, he’s no longer the NFL’s best-kept secret.

It was 3rd-and-25. Allen tried to make up for the penalty with less than a minute on the clock. He had an incomplete pass on the down before and needed to move quickly to get Buffalo back in the red zone. He found a double-teamed Stefon Diggs in the middle of the field to convert the first down. It was as difficult a throw as it was a catch to set up the game-winning touchdown: a quick three-yard pass to tight end Tyler Kroft.

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Allen finished the game 24-of-33 passing for 311 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. Despite getting sacked four times and facing one of the most fearsome defenders in the league, Allen was able to get the Bills in the game with some timely throws and decision-making. Now, was getting flagged for a face mask or thinking you can outrun the beast that is Donald exemplary of good decision-making? No, but this is another notch in his belt during a year that will separate this quarterback class; we’re looking at you, Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold—Lamar Jackson and Josh Rosen have already proven themselves for better and for worse.

Allen has had his fair share of critics and skepticism, and he won’t be free from that with some of the decision-making he displayed Sunday. He will, however, be able to silence some of it if he continues to play at this high of a level and doesn’t make some of these same mistakes. There were plays he simply held onto the ball for too long trying to make something out of nothing and some poorly timed throws when he did get the ball out quickly.

The Bills will face the Las Vegas Raiders and Tennessee Titans next with both of those defenses allowing the sixth- and seventh-most yards, respectively, through the first two weeks. Allen has been shredding opposing defenses to the tune of 727 yards with the league’s third-best passer rating (122.8) behind Seattle Seahawks’ Russell Wilson (140.0) and Jackson (134.6).

If Allen was tasked with proving himself this season, he’s already doing that and more.