Lamar Jackson takes MVP rivalry with Josh Allen to next level before playoff clash

We are in for a treat on Sunday.
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson
Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson / Greg Fiume/GettyImages
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The Baltimore Ravens will visit the Buffalo Bills for an AFC Divisional Round showdown on Sunday. It is easily the most anticipated matchup of the postseason to date, and the reason is simple enough. Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen will finish No. 1 and No. 2 in MVP voting. We don't know which order yet.

There weren't two more impressive individual players in the NFL this season. Jackson, on the heels of his second MVP award in 2023, somehow leveled up. Allen, meanwhile, has elevated a mediocre WR room to unexpected heights, keeping Buffalo in the contenders' circle despite his front office's penny-pinching.

Both are special players capable of special performances, and there's every reason to believe both will put on a show this weekend.

Jackson, however, is taking this rivalry to the next level.

Lamar told reporters he doesn't speak with other quarterbacks in the offseason. Few NFL players are more competitive to their core. The Jackson-Allen rivalry is unique in that they're from the same draft class. Allen was a top-five pick, Jackson was the last pick of the first round. That gives the latter an obvious chip on his shoulder.

When asked if his career will always be intertwined with Allen as draft peers, Jackson made it clear he is not focused on such things right now.

Lamar Jackson adds fuel to fire of Josh Allen rivalry ahead of Bills-Ravens

"It's serious. I ain't laughing with you. For real."

Those are the words of a man interested in one thing and one thing only — winning football games.

Jackson has been a lightning rod for discourse since his arrival in the NFL, and one can't help but laugh at the irony. Because Jackson does not care about discourse. He's out there to play football. He cares deeply about his craft, puts his body on the line for his team, and pays no mind to narratives or the spotlight. How is he not a more universally beloved figure?

Allen will surely get asked about Jackson's comments in the days to come, so Sunday's matchup, which is already must-watch television, might get even spicier. For all the fire Jackson plays with — for all the respect he has fought to procure — Allen is equally devout in his commitment to excellence. He leaves it all out on the field, whether that means plowing through a blockade of would-be tacklers or delivering tightrope dimes into heavy traffic.

Both quarterbacks have complicated postseason reputations, so Sunday is a great chance for one to separate himself narratively. The winner, presumably, gets a shot at the first-place Chiefs in the AFC title game. Kansas City eliminated both Buffalo and Baltimore last season. Both quarterbacks would like another shot at the Chiefs' vaunted defense, not to mention a chance to knock Patrick Mahomes off of his lofty pedastal.

So much of the discussion around all-time great quarterbacks is tied to postseason success. Neither Jackson nor Allen have a Super Bowl ring — yet. In 20 years, when Jackson and Allen are finally able to look back and laugh about their parallel careers, their success will be defined by what happens on Sunday, perhaps more than any other game in their respective careers to date. You have to win in the playoffs, and you have to win the marquee matchups.

Get your popcorn ready, folks.

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