Why the MVP race between Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson is such a tough choice
2025-01-19
Category: sports

"He's one of if not the most dynamic quarterbacks in the league." Guess who said that. And guess who the speaker was talking about.&nbsp; I'll give you a hint: It was either Josh Allen talking about Lamar Jackson — or Jackson talking about Allen. But that clue didn't give much away, did it? Alright, alright. I'll tell you.&nbsp; It was Allen discussing Jackson following the Buffalo Bills' blowout win over the Denver Broncos. The two QBs will match up again on Sunday in Buffalo when the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round. Yet again, these two quarterbacks will fight over shared real estate. And only one will walk away. It's a coming-to-a-head moment for their rivalry. All season, Allen and Jackson have been competing for playoff seeding and MVP honors. When discussing the best quarterback in the NFL&nbsp;right now, there's an easy case for Allen and Lamar. When voting for MVP, there's an easy case for each QB. But the truth is, there's no wrong answer. Allen and Jackson are so similar. In every sense, that's what makes this rivalry so fierce. The MVP debate, when it's this tight, gets heated quickly. But perhaps Allen and Jackson's immense similarities are part of what makes the two fan bases intensely oppositional to one another. The Ravens' contingent thinks it has the best dual-threat quarterback. But Allen is Jackson's equal in that category. The Bills' camp will want to say it has the best playmaker and the most electric athlete in football. But yeah … Lamar certainly qualifies. People will be quick to point out their differences. But somehow it comes back to what makes them similar.&nbsp; Lamar is 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds and is as difficult to tackle as anyone in the NFL — because of his speed. Allen is 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, and he is as difficult to tackle as any player in the NFL — because of his size.&nbsp;  This year, both quarterbacks took a developmental leap in unique ways as passers. For Allen, it was about learning patience, situational awareness and control. That has manifested in a lack of turnovers and turnover-worthy plays. His interception percentage is down from 3.1% in 2023 to 1.2% in 2024. And the result? More wins. More consistency.&nbsp; For Jackson, it was about picking his spots as a passer to generate more passing touchdowns. His touchdown percentage is up from 5.3% in 2023 to 8.6% in 2024. And the result? More wins. More consistency.&nbsp; Here's something else Allen and Jackson have in common: They both have the same problem — Patrick Mahomes. Allen's record against Mahomes is better on the whole, but neither Allen nor Jackson have ever beaten Mahomes in the playoffs. Really, that's all that matters. That's what this AFC divisional playoff matchup is about.&nbsp; Who gets a ticket to Kansas City for a shot at Mahomes — and a Super Bowl berth? That's of course assuming the Chiefs can beat the Houston Texans. And that'll probably be a close game, given how well the Texans played in the wild-card round. But you'd have to think Mahomes, who has never missed an AFC Championship Game in all his years as a starter, can get the W at home against the Texans.&nbsp; And if he does, Mahomes will have one of these two playmakers to worry about. But first, we get to see Spider-Man fight Spider-Man.&nbsp; We get to see Captain America fight Captain America.  Over their careers, the Allen-Jackson rivalry is tight, with Allen winning their only playoff contest but Jackson having a regular-season advantage of 2-1. And if you want to count the draft — both alumni of the 2018 draft class — you can look at Allen's draft slot, seventh overall, as a win over Lamar, 32nd overall. Sunday's matchup will be their fifth head-to-head meeting. That's how far this goes back: the NFL Combine in February 2018. While quarterbacks don't always develop linearly, these two have never played better than they're playing right now. They are human highlight reels, yes. But that has always been the case. There's a massive difference between these two QBs and Kyler Murray, whose highlights are mind-blowing but whose lowlights are equally mind-blowing. Allen and Jackson add value to their teams on every snap. With Allen, it might be more obvious — at least from a narrative perspective. This offseason, the Bills parted ways with starting receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, along with their starting center. Outside of, perhaps, the left tackle, those are most important positions for a quarterback. And on defense, Buffalo moved on from safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde (who actually returned late in the season on the practice squad), cornerbacks Tre'Davious White and Dane Jackson and edge Leonard Floyd. But because of Allen's superhuman year, the Bills managed to do a teardown over the offseason and still land the AFC's No. 2 seed.&nbsp; Allen finished the year with 133.3 expected points added, per Next Gen Stats. That puts his season into context when looking at his counting stats: 3,731 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, six interceptions; 531 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns. Jackson's value is less clear from a narrative perspective. But it's blatant statistically. Next Gen Stats has his EPA at 144. And then there's the counting stats: 4,172 passing yards, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions; 915 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns. That's a whole lot better than Allen. The narrative, however, is that Jackson's progress has come on the heels of Derrick Henry's arrival. But perhaps that also ignores the rebuilding offensive line, with three new starters to begin the season, with the arrivals of Roger Rosengarten, a rookie right tackle, and guards Daniel Faalele and Andrew Vorhees. Baltimore's defense didn't impress out of the gate either. But look at me, getting into the same debate that has plagued fans and media for the past few months. It's impossible to pick the better player, because it's like trying to make the case the color blue is better than the color green. They're just colors, man. How can one be better? And still, there can only be one. It's true about the MVP race. It's true about the Ravens and Bills' matchup this weekend. It's true about the Super Bowl winner. Prior to joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at&nbsp;@henrycmckenna. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!