Josh Allen’s MVP campaign received major boost despite Lamar Jackson’s historic victory

Each year, the Associated Press names a player as the best individual player of the regular season. Although the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player won’t be announced until after the NFL Honors awards, the race for the coveted award has begun to dwindle.

Several players in the league undoubtedly deserve to win this award. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley still threatens to break NFL single-season rushing record, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff led most powerful offense of the league, and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow holds the triple crown of passing by leading the NFL in completions, yards and touchdowns.

These players deserve recognition for their outstanding campaigns, but the award will go to two finalists: Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Although Allen’s statistical results haven’t been mind-blowing, the circumstances surrounding his 2024 campaign have made him the betting favorite to win his first MVP award. A recent report from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed that Allen played most of the 2024 season with a fractured left hand.

Allen was injured in Buffalo’s regular season opener against the Arizona Cardinals. Allen landed on his non-throwing hand after taking off for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Although he was listed on Buffalo’s injury report with a hand injury until Week 12, the severity of the injury was unknown and Allen was a full participant in practice.

The Bills were expected to be in a rebuilding year after undergoing a significant roster change during the offseason. The team’s salary cap deficit forced general manager Brandon Beane to make significant budget cuts, and the Bills were forced to part ways with several of their key contributors.

Still, Allen led the Bills to an 11-3 record and another AFC East title in 14 games. Despite losing All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs and suffering a fractured hand, Allen passed the ball to a large number of players at different positions. Entering Week 16, Allen has compiled 3,395 passing yards for 25 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions, while adding 484 rushing yards for 11 scores on 91 carries.

He handed the Kansas City Chiefs their only loss of the season in Week 11, then eliminated the Detroit Lions, the NFC’s top team, in Week 15. Allen suffered a loss to face against Jackson and Co. in Week 4, however.

Jackson had another excellent performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday. The reigning MVP made a compelling case to win the award for the third time in just seven career seasons. Jackson recorded a career-high 3,787 passing yards in just 15 games, and he currently leads the league in passing touchdowns (37) and quarterback rating (120.6) while only throwing four interceptions. He also added 765 rushing yards for three scores on 126 carries.