The Baltimore Ravens continue their quest for a third Super Bowl on Sunday when they hit the road to face the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, January 19. It’s a prime-time game, the perfect opportunity to have the spotlight on MVP favorites Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen.
Both quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Bills traded from the 12th overall pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers seventh-overall pick to secure Allen. He’s since taken over and led their team to great success.
Allen didn’t have the same level of statistical impact as he normally does. But he was pretty much the Bills whole offense. Allen’s 3,731 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and six interceptions are still respectable. His 12 rushing touchdowns showed he’s a true dual threat.
The fact that Allen had such a strong year without a true number-one receiver makes it even more impressive. Buffalo managed to find balance on offense by establishing a legitimate rushing attack that Allen had a part of but it was led by James Cook’s 1,009 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Jackson’s regular season statistics read like a John Madden video game. He finished with 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, and only four interceptions. Jackson also rushed for 915 yards and four touchdowns.
His 119.6 passer rating ranked as the fourth-most all-time in a single season. The three better finishes resulted in NFL MVP seasons: Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers in 2011 (122.5) and 2020 (121.5) and Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts (121.1) in 2004.
A third MVP is a strong possibility for the quarterback who was told he would need to switch positions to make it in the NFL. The arrival of Derrick Henry complemented Jackson. Henry warrants MVP consideration himself after rushing for 1,921 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Jackson’s impact is felt in the run game because defenses have to use an extra defender as a spy because of his explosive running ability. That helps to open up lanes for Henry.
The Associated Press named Jackson First-Team All-Pro at quarterback with Allen coming in at a close second. They’re the same people who vote for the MVP, so don’t be surprised if Jackson wins a third.
In the meantime, there’s a playoff game to take care of. The Bills have the number two seed, so they’ll host the Ravens, who finished with the number three. It’ll be an intense game where a lot of points should be scored thanks to these two MVP candidates.