Josh Allen has finally secured some hardware. The Buffalo Bills quarterback was honored as the NFL’s Most Valuable Player for the first time on Thursday. Fans had speculated about how Allen would perform following the Bills’ offseason trade of Stefon Diggs, but he proved to be more than capable.
Allen threw for 28 touchdowns while recording a career-low six interceptions and added a dozen rushing touchdowns. His impressive 77.4 QBR was the highest in the NFL, especially noteworthy given that he was working with relatively unknown receivers—Khalil Shakir led the team with 100 targets, 76 receptions, and 821 yards. Allen also benefited from a weaker division, clinching the AFC East title on December 1. It became evident that as long as Allen is at the helm, the Bills will remain competitive.
In a close race for the MVP award, Allen narrowly edged out Lamar Jackson. Their previous matchup in the AFC divisional round, where Allen’s Bills secured a tight 27-25 victory over Baltimore, may have foreshadowed the MVP voting outcome. Allen garnered 383 total voting points, while Jackson received 362. Allen claimed 27 of the 50 first-place votes, with Jackson taking the remaining 23. Additionally, Allen received 22 second-place votes compared to Jackson’s 26, while both Saquon Barkley and Joe Burrow received one each. Allen also earned a third-place vote, while Jackson finished with a fourth-place tally.
Interestingly, Jackson had more First-team All-Pro votes than Allen, marking the first time since 1987 (with John Elway) that a First-team All-Pro did not win the MVP award. Although Allen has yet to overcome the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, having lost to them four times, he can now proudly add the long-sought MVP title to his achievements. Allen also surpassed notable contenders such as Saquon Barkley, Joe Burrow, and Jared Goff.
