The two leading candidates for the NFL MVP award will share the field Sunday when the Baltimore Ravens visit the Buffalo Bills in an AFC divisional playoff game.
But neither Lamar Jackson nor Josh Allen view it as a one-on-one battle when the teams square off at Orchard Park, N.Y.
Regardless, the chatter is loud and the contest seemingly continues to narrow down to Lamar vs. Josh.
Jackson is in the mix for his third MVP award. Allen is trying to win his first.
“In the history of football, I’ve never played against another quarterback,” Allen said Wednesday. “I played against their defense.”
Jackson is trying to avoid the comparisons and the MVP discussions, and makes it clear he has no interest in being pals with other quarterbacks.
“We competing against each other,” Jackson said Wednesday. “I’m trying to beat you. I’m not trying to be your friend.”
Veteran Bills linebacker Von Miller sees the appeal of the game and not just because a spot in the AFC Championship Game is on the line.
“He’s an elite player, I’m a huge fan of Lamar for a bunch of years,” Miller said. “Battle of MVPs this weekend. They have a really good team. But we have a good team, as well. That’s why you play the game. You have one game to prove it. It’s not a best-of-seven. You play 60 minutes.”
The second-seeded Bills recorded a 31-7 rout of the visiting Denver Broncos in last week’s wild-card round while the third-seeded Ravens dominated the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14.
Baltimore racked up 299 rushing yards against the Steelers with Derrick Henry rushing for 186 and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
Henry was signed as a free agent in March after spending his career with the Tennessee Titans and has given the Ravens an extra element. He rushed for 1,921 yards and tied for the NFL lead with 16 rushing touchdowns in the regular season.
“Having him is huge,” said Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, Henry’s former college teammate at Alabama. “I know it’s no fun taking those hits because he usually takes those hits to the defenders. He’s always been a pretty locked-in guy.”
Baltimore is trying to return to the AFC Championship Game. The Ravens lost at home to the Kansas City Chiefs 17-10 last season.
Jackson is just 3-4 as a playoff starter and Baltimore is trying to win two games in the same postseason for the first time since Joe Flacco quarterbacked them to the Super Bowl title in the 2012 season.
Buffalo has lost in this round in three straight campaigns after reaching the AFC title game in the 2020 season, where the Bills fell to the Chiefs. Allen is 6-5 as a playoff starter, including a 17-3 divisional-round win over the Ravens in the 2020 campaign.
Earlier this season, the Ravens rolled to a 35-10 home victory over the Bills on Sept. 29. Henry scored on an 87-yard run as part of a season-best 199-yard day on the ground.
Jackson passed for two touchdowns that day while Allen didn’t throw for any.
“I don’t think either team has taken a step back in any way — both teams are better across the board,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said while reflecting on the previous matchup. “Both teams have kind of defined their personalities a little bit more over the course of the season. It’s kind of what you’d expect at this point.”
Buffalo coach Sean McDermott really doesn’t need a reminder of how the first matchup went.
“They handled us pretty good the first go-around and they’re certainly playing well, well-coached,” McDermott said. “(Harbaugh) won a Super Bowl and comes from great pedigree, so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
Buffalo reserve running back Ray Davis (concussion) and offensive lineman Alec Anderson (calf) were limited at Wednesday’s walkthrough.
Ravens receiver Zay Flowers (knee) missed practice Wednesday and his status for Sunday will be determined later in the week. He was injured in the regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns and sat out against the Steelers.
“He can play without practicing — for sure — if he feels healthy enough and if it’s safe for him,” Harbaugh said.
–Field Level Media
