Four definitive reasons Josh Allen, not Lamar Jackson, is NFL MVP

The Buffalo Bills' quarterback has proven to be the most valuable player in football this season.

Ralph Ventre | 2 Hours Ago

Bills quarterback Josh Allen runs laterally to find an open receiver against the Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park, Nov.17, 2024. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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There are a handful of games remaining in the NFL regular season, but the race for the MVP award realistically ended in Week 13.

The Buffalo Bills were supposedly bound to regress in 2024 with pundits going as far as proclaiming the team's window as a contender had been slammed shut. With plenty of experts seemingly eager to select the Miami Dolphins or New York Jets as the AFC East's top team, the Bills steadily marched to a fifth consecutive division title. Locking it up on December 1, Buffalo was the first team to clinch a 2024 division crown.

There has been no man more valuable to the Bills' exploits than quarterback Josh Allen. While Baltimore Ravens' Lamar Jackson has been nothing short of marvelous this season, he has not faced circumstances as challenging as those that Allen has conquered.

Jackson's aggregate stat totals are slightly higher than Allen's, but observers must put the cumulative numbers into perspective.

It's important to note that Allen has been pulled on multiple occasions in the second half throughout the season with his time on the sideline amounting to the equivalent of four full quarters.

Then, there's the fact that Allen has done it all after losing top weapon Stefon Diggs in the offseason. Meanwhile, the Ravens added the generation's best running back to Jackson's arsenal.

Both men have made their share of amazing plays, and if it were a race for "Most Outstanding Player," the two candidates would be neck and neck. It is, however, the "Most Valuable Player" award and no one has been more valuable to a winning team than Allen this season. Here are four reasons why Allen deserves the edge.

Allen's losses vs. Jackson's gains

Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis combined for 243 targets in their final season with Buffalo before leaving Allen with an almost entirely new receiving corps for 2024.

Essentially, the Bills lost their top-two receivers from 2023 while the Ravens added future Hall-of-Fame running back Derrick Henry to a team that owned the AFC's No. 1 seed last year. Henry currently leads the AFC in rushing with 654 more yards than the second-ranked leader. He complements Baltimore's passing attack by averaging 5.8 yards per carry.

Amidst the changes, Buffalo has surpassed its 2023 win total while the Ravens are guaranteed a regression of at least one victory.

Allen's two monumental wins

Looking beyond the individuals' season stats, the Bills have a pair of impressive victories that no other team can claim. Buffalo defeated the Kansas City Chiefs and the Detroit Lions during the season's second half, and Allen was the driving force behind both wins.

Against Kansas City, Allen accounted for 317 yards of total offense and his 26-yard touchdown run on 4th-and-2 sealed the 30-21 victory. In Detroit, he passed for two touchdowns, rushed for two touchdowns and totaled 430 yards of offense.

While the Bills are 2-0 against the current No. 1 seeds in both conferences, the rest of the NFL is a combined 1-28 against the Chiefs and Lions.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen gets tackled too late, he ran into the end zone for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs in Orchard Park, Nov.17, 2024. / Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Playing through injury

Almost every NFL player competes through pain at some point every season, but not many have been known to play through a broken hand.

Recent reports have confirmed that Allen suffered a break in his non-throwing hand when he came down hard in the end zone after going airborne for a fourth-quarter touchdown in the season-opening win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Subsequently donning a protective glove on his left hand, Allen remained on the injury report through the Week 12 bye. Essentially, Allen played 10 consecutive games while affected by a broken hand. The fact that the Bills' QB1 hasn't missed a single snap due to the documented injury makes his 2024 season performance all the more impressive.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leaps over Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) for a touchdown during the second half at Highmark Stadium. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Statistical firsts

One week after becoming the first player in the Super Bowl era to record three passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns in the same game, Allen made more history against the Lions. The dual threat became the first player in NFL history with back-to-back performances of multiple passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns in the same game. He also was the first man ever to record 350+ pass yards, 60+ rush yards, 2+ TD passes and 2+ TD rushes in any NFL game including the postseason.

With 11 touchdown rushes already this season, Allen has moved to within one rushing TD of the Bills' career franchise record that is held by Thurman Thomas (65). He already passed the late OJ Simpson earlier this season.

Remarkably, Allen is about to move past a second Hall-of-Fame running back in a rushing category, showing that he's truly a do-it-all field general who has allowed his team to greatly exceed expectations.

In other words, he's done everything one demands from an MVP. It's time to crown the man.

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