Will Jaguars' Josh Allen get a new contract before hitting free agency? Making case for LB's extension
Josh Allen is one of the names in the NFL you must be aware of, but odds are that the quarterback comes to mind.
The Bills quarterback has another dramatic year, but for the Jacksonville Jaguars, pass-rusher things are looking great. The win against the Texans got the Jags to eight wins and gave them a two-game cushion over the Houston Texans in the AFC South.
Allen sacked CJ Stroud 2.5 times in the dramatic win as the Jaguars' defense came up big when it mattered most. Allen has 12 sacks this year and is in the top five for sacks this season and in the hunt for Defensive Player of the Year.
It has been an interesting campaign, as Allen has no sacks in five of the games but 10.5 in four against the Colts, Steelers, Texans and Bills.
Half of the total sacks this season produced by Jacksonville have been due to Allen; number 41 is pivotal to everything for this team. If the Jags has any chance of being the AFC's one seed, they have to win out and hope for a Chiefs loss.
The back-to-back games against the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in December will reveal a lot about the Jaguars team. The Browns host the league's best defense, and the Ravens are the most balanced team across all the metrics. Josh Allen has to deliver as the center-piece of the defense.
Regardless of how the season ends, the Jaguars have to get a deal done for Josh Allen.
Josh Allen is not a Defensive Player of the Year favorite but could cause a shock
Myles Garrett +100 is Fox Sport's runaway leader for the 2023 DPOTY award, and rightfully so, as Garrett is even in MVP contention.
Myles Garrett and TJ Watt share the top of the board with 13 sacks apiece. Micah Parsons and T.J Watt take up the second and third places in the predictions, as Parsons has 11.5 sacks and is on a fearsome Cowboys defense.
Josh Allen is nowhere to be seen on the list, which is a massive surprise. Allen absolutely deserves to be in the mix to win the award, as he could become the league leader in sacks with a good performance next week against the Bengals.
A strong finish to the second and a potential one seed might get Allen over the line, similar to how Nick Bosa won the award last year.
Do not rule Josh Allen out of Defensive Player of the Year.