Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen are expected to finish first and second in this season’s MVP race. Who will win has been widely discussed for the past several weeks. Each has a compelling case. It would be Jackson’s third and Allen’s first. They will be forever linked as Allen was the No. 7 overall selection of the 2018 NFL Draft and Jackson the 32nd and last pick in the first round the same year.
Both would rather win their elusive first Super Bowl than the MVP. But one will be denied that coveted accomplishment again when their teams meet up in Buffalo on Sunday night (6:30 p.m.) in the league’s signature game of this weekend’s four divisional round playoff matchups.
In the other games, on Saturday, the AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs, the conference’s No. 1 seed and two-time defending Super Bowl champion, will host the No. 4 Houston Texans (4:30 p.m.) and the NFC’s No. 1 seed Detroit Lions will be at home to take on the Washington Commanders and their sensational rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
On Sunday, the NFC’s No. 2 seed will play the No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (3:00 p.m.) and then the Bills and Ravens will conclude the slate with a scheduled 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Jackson and Allen are universally acknowledged as two of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play. And their gifts have translated into success as they both have been catalysts of teams that are perennial Super Bowl contenders. Their individual resumes are sterling and they are both destined for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. But they are still chasing what would elevate them to an exclusive eminence occupied by the immortals of the sport.
“Very mutual respect between one another,” said Jackson.
After the Bills’ 31-7 victory in a wild-card game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Allen said Jackson should be the highest-paid player in the NFL. Jackson’s five-year deal, signed in 2023 for $260 million, $185 million fully guaranteed, ranked him eighth among all NFL players this season.
“He’s one of the most dynamic, if not the most dynamic quarterback in the league. He’s so fun to watch,” said Allen.
Sunday’s affair should be entertaining. It also inherently will be dramatic and consequential.