Despite Leading Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen Eyes 5 TDs Against the Ravens for an Elusive Record

Football is officially back and there’s no shortage of stakes in Week 1 either. The first Sunday of the season is set to cap off with a rematch of the 2024 AFC Divisional Round match up between the Buffalo Bills and the Baltimore Ravens.

Both Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen are presumably hoping to prove that they were the more deserving candidate of last year’s regular season MVP award, but for Allen, there’s the potential for a bit of history on the line as well. With 195 passing touchdowns to his name, Allen needs just five more to become just the sixth quarterback in NFL history to produce 200 passing touchdowns before the age of 30.

Of course, that’s easier said than done against a Ravens defense that’s only allowed him to throw for one touchdown since in the last three years. It’s also worth noting that Jackson himself isn’t far off from accomplishing the same feat either.

The pride and joy of Baltimore has notched 166 passing touchdowns throughout his first seven seasons in the league, meaning he’ll only need 34 more throughout the next two seasons to become the seventh player in NFL history to do so. Nevertheless, like everything else pertaining to the AFC’s current QB records, it’s Patrick Mahomes who is leading the charge in this category.

The 29-year-old phenom has produced an astounding total of 246 passing touchdowns, joining both Dan Marino and Peyton Manning as the only quarterbacks in NFL history to record 240+ passing touchdowns before turning 30. When it comes to QB rushing touchdowns, however, things look a little bit different.

With a total of 65 rushing touchdowns, not only Allen does hold the record for most by a signal caller before the age of 30, he’s also knocking on the door of Cam Newton’s all-time career record of 75. Jackson, with a career total of 33 rushing touchdowns, currently ranks fourth overall, while Newton and the reigning Super Bowl MVP, Jalen Hurts, round out the top three.

Even though Allen’s is currently leading in the career touchdown race, it’s still Jackson who will be walking into their prime time match up as the odds on favorite to win this year’s MVP award. Jackson’s MVP odds are currently listed around +490 prior to Sunday’s contest, making him a slight favorite over Allen, who is currently listed as the second most-likely candidate at +500.

Joe Burrow is currently the third most favored QB, sporting 6-to-1 odds. Despite his Week 1 loss to Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers, Mahomes remains the fourth-most favored QB on the list at +650. At this point in time, each signal caller is still offering a decent chunk of value, but it’s important to remember what they say in Vegas, and that is that the odds are subject to change.