Reggie Bush Vince Young Baltimore RavensAssociated Press photo

Take some time to enjoy something that rarely happens in sports. The best part of Sunday’s colossal Lamar Jackson-Josh Allen showdown is that the respective Ravens’ and Bills’ quarterbacks will settle the MVP debate on the field.

When Baltimore (13-5) visits Buffalo (14-4) on Sunday (6:30 p.m. ET, CBS), the NFL’s leading MVP candidates will settle any arguments in head-to-head fashion. Voting is in, with results under lock and key until they’re revealed Feb. 6 at NFL Honors during Super Bowl week in New Orleans.

Larry Bird finished just ahead of Magic Johnson in MVP voting during the 1983-84 NBA season. They settled the debate on the court in the NBA Finals, Bird and the Celtics taking the series, 4-3. In 2005, Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy but runner-up Vince Young and Texas had the last laugh, beating USC 41-38 in the Rose Bowl for the national title. And just three months ago, Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani won respective American and National League MVPs before the Dodgers beat the Yankees in the 2024 World Series.

“A hypothetical debate that gets settled in reality is the best thing that could ever exist in sports,” said former NFL player Emmanuel Acho on FS1’s The Facility Monday. “Who’s better, Jordan or LeBron? We never got to see that one. But this one, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, the hypothetical debate of who should’ve won MVP, it will get settled in reality. There is nothing sweeter in sports than what we are all going to be able to witness. And we will talk about it all week.”

Jackson recorded 41 touchdown passes and four interceptions in the regular season, becoming the first player ever to reach 40 TD passes while throwing fewer than five interceptions in a season. Over his first seven playoff starts, Jackson has produced 11 touchdowns (eight passing, three rushing), having reached 50 rushing yards in six of those seven games. Last week in a 28-14 win over Pittsburgh, he was 16 of 21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 81 yards on 15 carries.

Allen led the Bills to a 31-7 win over Denver last week, finishing 20 of 26 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions He also picked up 46 yards on eight carries, extending his streak of postseason games with at least 250 combined rushing and passing yards to eight. Only Tom Brady (12, 2014-18), Patrick Mahomes (11, 2018-21) and Drew Brees (nine, 2009-18) have longer streaks in league history.

Both players were selected in the first round of the 2018 draft, Allen seventh overall and Jackson 32nd. Baltimore ran away with their first meeting on Sept. 29, 35-10.

For more information on the Bills and Ravens, visit the Buffalo and Baltimore team pages at ProFootballPost.com.


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By Zak Gilbert

Since his freshman year at the University of Colorado, Zak Gilbert has worked 30 years in sports, including 18 NFL seasons. He's spent time with four NFL teams, serving as head of communications for both the Raiders and Browns. A veteran of nine Super Bowls, he most recently worked six seasons in the NFL's New York league office.

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