Josh Allen’s MVP chances took a huge hit in the first week of the NFL playoffs.
The Buffalo Bills superstar takes on the Denver Broncos in a wild-card round showdown on Sunday.
It comes after two-time winner Lamar Jackson tore apart the Pittsburgh Steelers in a fearsome tandem alongside Baltimore Ravens teammate Derrick Henry.
Only regular-season stats count toward the award so Allen’s performance at Highmark Stadium won’t improve or damage his chances.
But Friday’s snub in the First Team All-Pro voting could be a fatal blow.
Bills beat reporter Alaina Getzenberg highlighted a telling stat that shows the battle ahead of Allen on ESPN’s SportsCenter.
“Only twice since MVP was 1st given in 1957 has the winner not been First Team All-Pro. For a Bills team that has surpassed outside expectations — after weeks advocating for Josh Allen for MVP — that’s sure to be *noted* going into the game today,” she wrote on X alongside a clip.
John Elway (1987) and Steve McNair (2003) are the only players to buck the trend.
Allen was named to the Second Team despite passing for 3,731 yards and 36 touchdowns with just six interceptions, as well as running in 12 scores.
But Jackson’s numbers were too good to be denied – he created an exclusive club of which he is the only member after throwing for over 4,000 yards and adding more than 900 on the ground.
NFL Network’s Peter Schrager revealed that the Ravens phenom earned 30 of 50 votes cast to Allen’s 18.
Still, Allen’s main focus is bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Buffalo for the first time ever.
The dual-threat QB has been thwarted three times in the playoffs by Patrick Mahomes‘ Kansas City Chiefs, and once apiece by the Joe Burrow-inspired Cincinnati Bengals, and a Houston Texans team led by Deshaun Watson.
As Getzenberg highlighted on SportsCenter, Allen’s dwindling MVP hopes may just be the kindling needed to ignite him his the postseason.
The 28-year-old is respected by everybody in the Bills organization and his teammates are sure to have his back.
Buffalo is expected to have no issues sending the Broncos home in the first week of the postseason.
But Denver wide receiver Courtland Sutton has no intention of rolling over.
“I think one of the biggest misconceptions about this opportunity that we have is everyone feels like the Broncos are happy and satisfied with just making the playoffs,” he said Wednesday. “I’m here to [debunk] that right now.
“Yes, we are happy to have made the playoffs. However, it’s not about just making the playoffs. Now that we’re in, it’s one week at a time.”
Bills head coach Sean McDermott knows Allen could be in for a tough evening if he doesn’t get it right.
“They’re built the right way. They’ve got a great defensive line, and they have a No. 1 corner,” he said on WGR’s ‘Extra Point Show.’
“Usually, when you have those two combined, you have a chance to have a great defense, and that’s what they do.
“They have a really good defense. They get after the quarterback, they’re able to stop the run, and then they’re able to take away because of their No. 1 corner, your best receiver. That’s a good combination.”
The Broncos may be a formidable defense but Allen playing with a chip on his shoulder can be a force of nature.
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We’re just under a month away from Super Bowl 59 Live on talkSPORT from New Orleans, and this weekend the NFL Playoffs are underway with 3 more exclusive commentaries on talkSPORT2 to come!
We’ll bring you the final AFC Wildcard Playoff game as the Broncos and the Bills face off from 6pm this evening, we’ll then keep you company through the night as in the early hours of tomorrow morning, the Commanders take on the Buccaneers and from 1am on Tuesday Morning, the Minnesota Vikings face the LA Rams.
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