Ex-Bengals star makes case for Lamar Jackson's 3rd MVP as race against Josh Allen heats up
Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen have been making their cases for the MVP award all season long. However, it has only been in the last eight weeks that the field has truly narrowed down to the two quarterbacks. Saquon Barkley saw some endorsements, but most of them have quieted down.
Speaking on Wednesday's edition of "The Facility," former Cincinnati Bengals star TJ Houshmandzadeh made his pick for MVP between the two.
0:00 "For me, it has to be Lamar because at some point Lamar Jackson, oh, he can't win a playoff game. He's a two-time MVP, but he just can't win in the playoffs. But this Lamar Jackson is different," he said. ...
"We've never seen a quarterback, in my opinion, in the history of the league be this dynamic on the ground and with his arm. I don't recall seeing this."
Jackson has seen some comparisons to Peyton Manning from fans and analysts this season. Of course, the two have very different levels of mobility, but one way they have been similar is their ability to score throwing touchdowns at a high clip. When it comes to the MVP chase, there might not be a better indicator than one's touchdown-interception ratio and Jackson's is sky-high.
Exploring Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen's MVP cases
Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen boast sky-high numbers in passing touchdowns, passer rating and pass the eye test with flying colors.
Jackson threw for 41 touchdowns and four interceptions. Allen threw for 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. Jackson rushed for 915 yards and four touchdowns. Allen, meanwhile, rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns.
The Ravens quarterback can simply point to his edge in throwing touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating. However, he had more help than Allen.
Derrick Henry and Zay Flowers were around to help him out. Allen, meanwhile, is working without Stefon Diggs. One can argue that if one plucked both quarterbacks from each team and replaced them with the same backup quarterback, the Bills would see a sharper decline than the Ravens.
The choice is purely subjective as both sides have strong arguments. Will the Baltimore Ravens quarterback named the 2024-25 NFL MVP?
If any of the above quotes are used, credit "The Facility" and H/T Sportskeeda.