Henry McKenna
NFL reporter
“He is one of, if not the, most dynamic midfielder in the league.”
Guess who said that. And guess who the speaker was talking about.
I’ll give you a hint: It was either Josh Allen talking about Lamar Jackson — or Jackson talking about Allen. But that evidence doesn’t reveal much, does it?
Okay, okay. I’ll tell you.
Allen was discussing Jackson after the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Denver Broncos. The QBs will match up again Sunday in Buffalo when the Bills host the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional round.
Once again, these two quarterbacks will be fighting for shared real estate.
And only one will walk away.
It is the moment of confrontation between their rivalry.
All season long, Allen and Jackson have been competing for playoff seeding and MVP honors. When discussing the best quarterback in the NFL now, There’s an easy case for Allen and Lamar. When voting for MVP, there’s an easy case for every QB.
But the truth is, there is no wrong answer. Allen and Jackson are very similar.
Quite literally, that’s what makes this rivalry so fierce.
The MVP debate, when it’s this close, gets heated quickly. But perhaps the enormous similarities between Allen and Jackson are part of what makes the two fan bases so at odds with each other. The Ravens believe they have the best dual-threat quarterback. But Allen is equal to Jackson in that category. The Bills camp wants to say they have the best playmaker and most electric athlete in football. But yeah… Lamar definitely qualifies.
People will be quick to point out their differences. But in a way it comes down to what makes them similar.
Lamar is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and is as difficult to tackle as anyone in the NFL — because of his speed. At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Allen is as difficult to handle as any player in the NFL — because of his size.
Lamar Jackson was named first-team All-Pro. Should he win the MVP award?
This year, both quarterbacks have taken a developmental leap in unique ways as passers.
For Allen, it was about learning patience, situational awareness and control. This was evident in the lack of turnovers and turnover-worthy plays. His interception percentage decreased from 3.1% in 2023 to 1.2% in 2024. The result? More victories. More consistency.
For Jackson, it was about choosing his spots as a passer to generate more passes. Its decline rate increased from 5.3% in 2023 to 8.6% in 2024. The result? More victories. More consistency.
There’s something else Allen and Jackson have in common: They both have the same problem – Patrick Mahomes.
Allen’s record against Mahomes is better overall, but neither Allen nor Jackson have ever beaten Mahomes in the playoffs. Really, that’s all that matters.
This is what the AFC Divisional Playoff is all about.
Who’s going to get a ticket to Kansas City for Mahomes’ game — and a Super Bowl berth?
This is of course assuming the Chiefs are able to beat the Houston Texans. This will likely be a close game, given how well the Texans played in the wild card round. But you have to think Mahomes, who has never missed an AFC Championship game in all his years as a starter, can get the W at home against the Texans.
If he does, Mahomes will have one of those two playmakers to worry about.
But first, we get to see Spider-Man fight Spider-Man.
We will see Captain America fighting Captain America.
Bills LT Dion Dawkins discusses Josh Allen’s impact on and off the field
During their careers, the rivalry between Allen and Jackson was intense, with Allen winning the only playoff game, but Jackson holding a 2-1 regular season advantage. And if you want to count the draft — both are graduates of the 2018 class — you can look at Allen’s draft slot, seventh overall, as a win over Lamar, who is 32nd overall. Sunday’s match will be the fifth confrontation between them. That’s how far this goes back: the NFL Combine in February 2018.
While midfielders don’t always develop linearly, these two have never played better than they do now.
They are human highlight reels, yes. But this has always been the case. There’s a big difference between these two QBs and Kyler Murray, whose highlights are mind-blowing but whose highlights are just as mind-blowing.
Allen and Jackson add value to their teams on every snap.
With Allen, it might be more straightforward — at least from a narrative perspective. This offseason, the Bills parted ways with starting receivers Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis, along with their starting center. Outside of left tackle, these are perhaps the most important positions for a quarterback. On defense, Buffalo moved on from safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde (who actually returned late in the season to the practice squad), and cornerbacks Davius White and Dane Jackson and edge Leonard Floyd.
But because of Allen’s breakout year, the Bills were able to pull off a makeover over the offseason and still finish second in the AFC.
Allen finished the year by adding an expected 133.3 points, according to Next Gen Stats. This puts his season into context when looking at his counting stats: 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns, six interceptions; 531 yards rushing and 12 rushing touchdowns.
Jackson’s value is less clear from a narrative perspective. But it’s statistically stark. Next Gen’s stats have his EPA at 144. Then there are the counting stats: 4,172 yards, 41 touchdowns, four interceptions; 915 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns. This is much better than Allen.
But the narrative is that Jackson’s progress came on the heels of Derrick Henry’s arrival. But perhaps that also ignores the rebuilding of the offensive line, with three new players to start the season, with the arrivals of Roger Rosengarten, a junior at right tackle, and guards Daniel Vallely and Andrew Voorhees. Baltimore’s defense wasn’t impressive out of the gate either.
But look at me, wading through the same controversy that has plagued fans and the media over the past few months. It’s impossible to pick the best player, because it’s like trying to make blue better than green. It’s just colors, man. How can one be better?
However, there can only be one.
This is true when it comes to the MVP race. That’s true regarding the Ravens and Bills matchup this weekend. That’s true about the Super Bowl winner.
Before joining FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years covering the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @HenrysMkina.
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