Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are set to clash next week, but their battle will have implications far beyond the NFL MVP race. A spot in the AFC championship game is on the line as Jackson leads the Baltimore Ravens (13-5) into a divisional round showdown against Allen and the Buffalo Bills (14-4). Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs (15-2), led by Patrick Mahomes and the defending champions, will host C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (11-7). The winners of these matchups will face off on January 26 for a chance to compete in the Super Bowl.
The Bills secured their place in the divisional round with a convincing 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. The Ravens also advanced after a solid 28-14 victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. The Texans began the wild-card weekend with a 32-12 triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Chiefs enjoyed a bye week after claiming the top seed.
The matchups in the AFC were finalized before the NFC games commenced. The Philadelphia Eagles continued their playoff journey by defeating the Green Bay Packers 22-10 on Sunday, advancing to play the winner of the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams matchup, which will occur on Monday night in Arizona.
In a notable playoff development, the Washington Commanders made history as the first road team to win this postseason, edging out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a narrow 23-20 victory on Sunday evening. The Commanders, boasting a record of 13-5, now prepare to face the top-seeded Detroit Lions (15-2).
In the race for the All-Pro Team, Jackson narrowly outshone Allen, earning 30 of the 50 first-place votes from a national panel of media figures. Allen garnered 18 votes, securing second-team All-Pro distinction. This scenario raises intriguing questions about the MVP selection process, particularly because the last player to win MVP without being named to the first-team All-Pro was in 2003, when Steve McNair and Peyton Manning shared the award. Manning received the All-Pro nod over McNair.
Similar occurrences have been rare; John Elway was named MVP in 1987 while Joe Montana made the All-Pro roster. In that year, Elway amassed 36 MVP votes, while Montana garnered 18, with Jerry Rice finishing in second with 30 votes.
On the field, Jackson’s performance has been impressive, highlighted by him completing 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns against the Steelers, along with rushing for 81 yards on 15 attempts. Conversely, Allen threw for 272 yards, completing 20 of 26 passes with two touchdowns against the Broncos, also contributing 46 rushing yards.
The two quarterbacks previously faced each other in Week 4, where the Ravens dominated the Bills with a final score of 35-10. Interestingly, this upcoming meeting will mark the second consecutive year that the final four teams in the conference are identical. The Chiefs triumphed over the Bills last year, while the Ravens overcame the Texans. The last occurrence of such a scenario was during the 2011-12 playoffs, which featured the Texans, Patriots, Ravens, and Broncos reaching the divisional round for back-to-back seasons.
