Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson entered professional football in 2018. They both were selected in the first round of the NFL Draft that year and have had great careers to this point. Vindication of their performances over the years came just a day ago when Allen (No. 3) and Jackson (No. 2) were ranked among the league’s best players.
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Allen and Jackson have found success with different playing styles. Yes, they’re both dual-threat signal-callers. But they go about their business in unique fashions.
Allen’s game revolves around power; Jackson’s is more finesse. Allen’s offense has also been more prolific through the air than Jackson’s.
Entering the 2025 season, Allen ranks 75th all-time in passing yards (26,434). With a strong season, he could leap 20 spots on that leaderboard. Jackson, meanwhile, sits 120th (20,059).
The Baltimore Ravens QB’s figure is less than that of Justin Herbert (21,093), who has appeared in 24 fewer games (79) than Jackson (103). Both have seen less action than Allen (111 games) in the NFL.
The Buffalo Bills star’s edge in passing yards is counteracted somewhat by Jackson’s strength on the ground. The Ravens star has 2,000 more rushing yards (6,173) than the Bills’ passer (4,142). Overall, though, Allen has roughly 4,000 more total yards than Jackson.
Notably, Jackson’s 2024 season ended at the hands and legs of Allen. In last year’s AFC Divisional round, Allen bulldozed his way into the endzone twice. The three turnovers his defense forced, and an unfortunate drop on Baltimore’s game-tying two-point attempt, were the difference in Buffalo’s 27-25 win.
- Lamar Jackson: 18/25 (68.0%), 254 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 6 carries, 39 yards; 1 FUM, 1 FL
- Josh Allen: 16/22 (72.7%), 127 yards; 10 carries, 20 yards, 2 TD
If you look at each man’s final stat line, you’d believe Jackson was the much better player in the game. But as always, turnovers gave the winning team a much larger margin for error. Ultimately, the Bills capitalized on the Ravens’ misfortune.
Last season’s painful ending could act as the push Baltimore needs to get over the Super Bowl hump. General manager Eric DeCosta has put together what may be the AFC’s most complete roster.
Now, the players must go out on the field and take what’s theirs. That won’t be easy against an extremely talented Buffalo squad, particularly on the road.
The Bills are currently 1.5-point favorites over the Ravens, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Their contest, which is the first Sunday Night Football matchup of the season, will kick off at 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.
