Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen will not determine the NFL MVP next week. The stakes are raised as they vie for a spot in the AFC championship game. Jackson’s Baltimore Ravens (13-5) will face Allen’s Buffalo Bills (14-4) in the upcoming divisional round, while Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) will host C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans (11-7). The victors will clash on January 26th for a chance to advance to the Super Bowl.
The Bills secured their spot with a commanding 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday, following the Ravens’ advancement with a 28-14 triumph against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. The Texans also secured their place with a 32-12 victory over the Chargers in the opening game of the wild-card weekend. The Chiefs, having clinched the No. 1 seed, enjoyed a bye week.
The AFC divisional matchups were locked in prior to the commencement of the NFC games. Jackson narrowly bested Allen for The Associated Press All-Pro Team, receiving 30 of 50 first-place votes from a national panel of media members. Allen secured 18 first-place votes, earning second-team All-Pro recognition.
The last instance of an MVP player not making the first-team All-Pro was in 2003 when Steve McNair and Peyton Manning shared the MVP award. Manning outperformed McNair for the All-Pro title. This rarity occurred previously in 1987 when John Elway was named MVP while Joe Montana received All-Pro recognition. Elway garnered 36 MVP votes, compared to Montana’s 18, with Jerry Rice earning 30 votes to secure the second spot.
Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, completed 16 of 21 passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns against Pittsburgh, adding 81 yards on the ground from 15 carries. Allen, on the other hand, went 20 for 26, accumulating 272 yards and two touchdowns against Denver, along with 46 rushing yards.
Contributions to this report were made by AP Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. For more NFL coverage, visit AP NFL at https://apnews.com/hub/nfl.
