Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson for NFL MVP? A debate ahead of the Bills-Ravens playoff game.

charles curtis, ftw staff

Fri, 17 Jan 2025, 9:07 am·4-min read

Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) greets Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) following the game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

Whatever happens on Sunday night in the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills divisional playoff game won't matter for MVP votes -- those have already been cast.

But as we get ready for a thrilling showdown, it's a good a time as any to debate: which quarterback is this year's MVP? Is it the Bills' Josh Allen or his Ravens counterpart, Lamar Jackson? It's got to be one of the two, right?

PREVIEWING RAVENS-BILLS: Who has the advantage?

We've been debating about it as of late on the For The Win group chat, so we're sharing some of our takes. Here's the debate:

Lamar Jackson for sure

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) warms up before an AFC wild card game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland on Jan 11, 2025.

For most of the season, it was Josh Allen for me, and it wasn't even close. Allen's now luscious long locks and his nonsensical throws had me in a chokehold. But ever since Lamar Jackson's mom cussed him out, he's been on a tear. (By the way, whatever she said must have been legendary levels of cuss.) His numbers this season are actually better than his MVP year. (HOW?! How, Sway?!) Anyway, give this man the MVP trophy already. It's giving main character energy. -- Meghan L. Hall

It's Josh Allen

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 12: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills walks off the field after defeating the Denver Broncos 31-7 during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at Highmark Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Lamar is amazing. I can't deny that. But the tiebreaker was: who had more support? James Cook is good but he's no Derrick Henry. And then this sealed it for me: Per CBS, there's only one QB named to the first or second All-Pro team in the past 15 years without another All-Pro teammate?

Yep, it's Josh. -- Charles Curtis

It's got to be Josh Allen

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) throws a long pass during the second half of the Buffalo Bills wild card game against the Denver Broncos at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 12, 2025.

If MVP came down to just the numbers, Lamar Jackson wins in a landslide. Then again, he probably doesn't win last year if it was only about numbers. MVP is also about individual impact, and with no Derrick Henry on the Bills, I just feel like Josh Allen carried a slightly bigger load and came out with the better record this season. -- Prince Grimes

Josh Allen all the way

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 12: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills throws a pass against the Denver Broncos in the fourth quarter during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at Highmark Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) ORG XMIT: 776262422 ORIG FILE ID: 2193585848

Jackson had 45 total touchdowns to Allen’s 40. He had 5,087 total yards to Allen’s 4,369, though the latter hardly played in a meaningless Week 18 loss to the New England Patriots. Jackson had the higher passer rating (119.6 to 101.4), threw deeper passes on average (8.8 yards of average target distance to 8.4) and was slightly more efficient as a scrambler (9.0 yards per scrambler vs. 8.9).

Allen had a slightly better QBR than Jackson (77.4 to 77.3) took fewer sacks (a 2.8 percent sack rate vs. 4.6) and had a significantly higher expected points added (EPA) per play (0.332 vs. 0.296). Both these players are extremely good. Removing either from the lineup would devastate their offenses.

Ultimately, this came down to an issue of who did more with less. Allen lost Stefon Diggs before 2024 started. His top targets were Khalil Shakir, Dalton Kincaid and Keon Coleman. He could hand the ball to James Cook, who is great but not on Derrick Henry’s level. He may not have elevated that crew to Baltimore’s lofty heights — it was the NFL’s most efficient offense last fall — but he took his team, once expected to be locked in a mini-rebuild, on a longer journey than Jackson did.

That swung my decision. I will not be shocked or offended if Jackson wins. He’s a wonderful quarterback. I think Allen did slightly more with slightly less and that’s how I got here. Either way, the winner will be a deserving link in a chain of greatness. -- Christian D'Andrea, from his awards ballot

They're both MVP!

Dec 8, 2019; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) meets Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) at mid-field after a game at New Era Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

I refuse to pick between two generational quarterbacks who created at least 40 touchdowns for their respective Super Bowl contender teams. I will not feed the NFL MVP debate in a manner reminiscent of the NBA MVP debate. At least in the NBA, with only 10 total players ever sharing the court, it's easier to make the indiviudal argument. Not so in football, where there's so much that has happen to around the quarterback for them to even succeed. So, the precedent is there. In 1997, Brett Favre and Barry Sanders won co-MVP as did Steve McNair and Peyton Manning in 2003. I see no clear distinction between Allen and Jackson in 2024, so it's time for them to also split a trophy. I don't mean "split" literally. Er, maybe just give them two smaller versions of it? I don't know, I'm sure the multibillion dollar league can figure out a happy medium. -- Robert Zeglinski

This article originally appeared on For The Win: Josh Allen or Lamar Jackson for NFL MVP? A debate ahead of the Bills-Ravens playoff game.