Bills Central

How NFL MVP odds responded to Bills QB Josh Allen's historic performance vs. 49ers

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was stellar in his team's Week 13 win over the San Francisco 49ers, and NFL MVP odds have, thus, responded.

Kyle Silagyi

Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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We’ve reached the point where we shouldn't be surprised whenever Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen pulls off an unbelievable play or constructs an asinine stat line, but the ways in which he continues to prove himself as one of the most dynamic players in football are simply unfathomable.

He put the breadth of his skillset on display in his team’s Week 13 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers, tallying four total touchdowns on just three trips to the endzone (we’ll get into that soon). Several feet of accumulated snow (with additional flurries throughout) prevented Buffalo from implementing an air-raid attack, as Allen attempted only 17 passes in the 35-10 win over his boyhood club; that said, he made NFL history with his effort in the face of adversity, becoming the Bills’ all-time leading touchdown scorer before becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to score a passing, rushing, and receiving touchdown in the same game.

Related: 4 takeaways from the Bills' avalanche of a win over 49ers

His passing and rushing touchdowns, though not easy plays, were pedestrian compared to his bizarre third-quarter touchdown in which wide receiver Amari Cooper lateraled the ball back to Allen after catching a quick pass, with the field general taking the ball to the goalline and diving for the pylon to bolster Buffalo’s lead to 28-3. He was credited with both a passing and receiving touchdown on the play, proving that Allen is so prolific at the game of football that he’s now earning two-for-one specials in the box score.

Allen entered the game as the betting favorite for this year’s NFL MVP Award, and he only bolstered his case while playing in a winter wonderland. This notion has been reflected in FanDuel’s latest MVP odds, as the Buffalo signal-caller is now the heavy favorite at -230. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who may break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record this year, is currently in second place at +500.

Much can transpire over the final five games of the season, but the national narrative appears to be firmly behind Allen at this point. Should he ultimately earn the honor, he would be the first Bill to do so since running back Thurman Thomas did so in the 1991 NFL season. He’d be the fifth player in franchise history to earn either AFL or NFL MVP honors, joining Thomas, Cookie Gilchrist, Jack Kemp, and O.J. Simpson.

Allen has the opportunity to further add to his MVP résumé as the season concludes, but if you were to ask him, he’d likely tell you that he’d prefer for this season to end with him hoisting the Lombardi Trophy as opposed to the MVP Award.

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Kyle Silagyi
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