Is this Josh Allen’s MVP season?

ORCHARD PARK, NY — Up by two points with 2:27 left, the Buffalo Bills needed a play.

Facing fourth-and-2 at the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs’ 26-yard line, the Bills offense stayed on the field. Bills quarterback Josh Allen took the snap in a shotgun formation and first looked to his left, faking a pass to running back Ty Johnson.

Allen took another step back before identifying a lane and starting to run. He darted past Chiefs defenders as defensive tackle Mike Pennel and then cornerback Nazeeh Johnson attempted to tackle him. Linebacker Nick Bolton attempted to tackle Allen as he approached the end zone, but he escaped before falling into the end zone as safety Bryan Cook attempted to tackle him one last time.

4th and 2, two-point game against the Chiefs. And Josh Allen does that. 26-yard touchdown run. Incredible play. pic.twitter.com/Xx7Jrbm6J8

—Alaina Getzenberg (@agetzenberg) November 18, 2024

“It was crazy,” Bills wide receiver Amari Cooper said of Allen’s performance in the Week 11 matchup. “…He used to take a lot of hits, but obviously he used to have great runs, but he “I was sliding all game. So I wasn’t sure if I was going to try it… He knew the situation like, ‘Hey, we have to score. We have this great offense on the other side, I can’t slide here.'”

The game-winning touchdown not only showed signs of the Bills’ dominance but also ignited Allen’s MVP campaign. He is the favorite to win the award (-225, according to ESPN BET) with two games left in the regular season, starting Sunday against the New York Jets (1 p.m. EST, CBS). His campaign, however, is plagued by fierce competition.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s performance against the Houston Texans on Christmas Day improved his odds to +180. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is right behind them at +1800 and Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow may be listed at +10000 odds, but he makes a compelling statistical case for the award, especially if The Bengals sneak into the playoffs.

Entering Sunday, Week 18 of 2023, Lamar Jackson was a -190 favorite to win MVP, shorter odds than Allen now has.

With one more game played, Jackson has accounted for a higher percentage of his team’s touchdowns (71.7% to 63.8%), however, he is complemented by a running back in Derrick Henry, who has the second-most yards from scrimmage by game. The Ravens have played 10 one-score games to the Bills’ seven, with Allen sitting at the end of multiple lopsided matchups. That could come up again toward the end of MVP voting, as the Bills could clinch playoff berth on Sunday, while the Ravens will still have the division to play in Week 18.

“A Super Bowl would mean a lot more [than MVP]and I think his drive for that is more than the MVP cares about,” Bills safety Micah Hyde said. “Actually, I know, that’s a fact. … [But] I’ll say it for the guys in the league, guys want their own personal stats, and if they deny it, it’s a fucking lie and for him to win an MVP and bring it here to One Bills Drive, that would be pretty fucked up. awesome.”

Allen’s 37 combined rushing and passing touchdowns with two games remaining would rank him eighth among players to win the MVP, however, it’s worth noting that last year’s MVP, Jackson, had one of the worst seasons statistics for an NFL MVP.

Teammates and those who have watched him along the way say that this year, more than before, Allen’s leadership and maturation have been MVP-worthy.

Allen’s arguments for MVP include better decision-making, complete control of the offense, excelling under pressure (in terms of big-game moments and pressure from defenders), combining his skills with his legs and arms , and lead the team in the way you see fit. I hadn’t done it so consistently in previous years. He has done so despite suffering hand and other injuries.

“It’s the best I’ve ever seen him play and I’m not surprised,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said after their Week 14 win over the Detroit Lions. “When he sets a goal for himself, for the team, it’s hard to stop him. So, people have tried, they’ll keep trying, that’s what we do in this league… Every week, we’re seeing incredible.” “He plays incredibly consistently week in and week out and I’ll let you guys complete the rest of the sentence.”

The seventh-year quarterback never won the prestigious award. He was runner-up in 2020 behind Aaron Rodgers. Allen, 28, would become the third Bills player to win the award and the first quarterback (OJ Simpson, 1973 and Thurman Thomas, 1991).

When asked about winning the award, Allen makes his goals pretty clear.

“The only good takeaway [is] that I feel like [it] It means your team is in a position to make the playoffs and give yourself a chance to win the Super Bowl,” Allen said of the award. “That’s really all that matters to me.”

No MVP quarterback has more rushing touchdowns than Allen this season (11). He’s set countless records along the way: He became the first player to record six touchdowns in a regular-season game against the Los Angeles Rams, only to rack up four more against the Detroit Lions.

Coming into the year, there were questions from outside the organization about how Allen would perform without No. 1 receiver Stefon Diggs. Management didn’t acquire an obvious No. 1 receiver to replace Diggs, and only one player on the roster had caught a pass from Allen to start the year: Khalil Shakir.

The Bills added Cooper via trade in October, with Cooper contributing 17 receptions for 241 yards and a touchdown in addition to his veteran presence, but no true No. 1 receiver has materialized and the offense under Allen has arguably been the best of his professional career.

In coordinator Joe Brady’s first full season with the Bills, the offense tied an NFL record with eight consecutive 30-plus point games.

Brady’s decisions have helped Allen put together this type of season and created a system in which a variety of players have found success.

“He’s focused. He gets the game. He’s prepared. He’s got a very fine line to make sure he’s relaxed with the guys, he’s got a great pulse in the locker room and he knows he’s going to be ready to play and the guys are going to follow him,” Brady said. “…The only thing he cares about is finding ways to win football games. I think our team embodies that too because of him.”

The Bills offensive line has allowed just 14 sacks, 10 fewer than any season of Allen’s career to this point, and has been vital to his quarterback’s success. To top it all off, running back James Cook has put together an explosive season with the second-most touchdowns from scrimmage in a season in Bills history (16). Although only one player receives the MVP award, as has been the case with much praise for Allen this season, the play of the offensive players around him, especially up front, is critical.

“It’s fun to have him behind you,” Bills center Connor McGovern told ESPN. “If you give him an extra second, he can make anything happen… There are a lot of other phenomenal players, especially at the quarterback position, but he’s in a league of his own.”