Bills QB Josh Allen can earn NFL MVP honors in 2024 by simply doing more of the same

Josh Allen just needs to produce at his typical level sans an elite receiving corps in order to mount a serious case for NFL MVP consideration this season.

Bills QB Josh Allen signed autographs for a bunch of children on the field at the end of Bills training camp at St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, NY on August 8, 2024. Today was the last day at St. John Fisher. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK

Despite the Buffalo Bills not having the same talent from past seasons as they prepare for the 2024 campaign, expectations for quarterback Josh Allen are again high enough to put him in legitimate contention for the coveted NFL MVP award.

Entering (and throughout) training camp, several have questioned who can step up as the number one playmaker offensively with receiver Stefon Diggs out of the picture in Houston. The hope is that rookie Keon Coleman or more experienced receivers like Curtis Samuel and Khalil Shakir can step up and help, with second-year tight end Dalton Kincaid also expected to play a prominent role in the passing game.

Last season, Allen had a typical Josh Allen-type season with 4,306 passing yards and 29 touchdowns to 18 interceptions. He also rushed for 524 yards and a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, combining for an NFL-leading 44 total scores. Diggs accounted for 27% of the yards and touchdowns Allen threw during the 2023 season. The next closest receiver in yards for Buffalo was Gabriel Davis (who also left One Bills Drive in the offseason) who had 17% of Allen’s yards.

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This leaves many to wonder if Allen can duplicate his success from the 2023 campaign sans his two primary targets and what it would mean for his reputation if he can do the same in 2024. 

Allen has a much different-looking receiving corps this summer and has displayed solid rapports with his new pass-catchers throughout training camp. It’s a younger weapons group, with Samuel being the oldest of the receivers listed in the starting lineup at age 27.

Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) has a word with wide receiver Stefon Diggs (14) between plays in the third quarter game against the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports / Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

With Allen’s mobility and deep ball accuracy, putting up similar stats from a year ago in 2024 can only enhance his legacy and put him in the thick of the MVP conversation. The understanding that he doesn’t have the same weapons around him can only get MVP voters to empathize with the magnitude of his impact on the Bills; if he again passes for well over 4,000 yards and totals over 40 touchdowns with a receiving corps that was questioned throughout the entire offseason, will there be a convincing argument that another player was truly more valuable to their team than Allen?

The defensive talent in Buffalo seems unlikely to fail him, and there's enough talent on the offensive side of the ball for Allen to effectively work with. The 2024 season could potentially be a legacy-defining season for the quarterback: if he produces at his typical level with a lesser supporting cast, it will be difficult to deny his MVP bona fides.

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