Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson entered professional football as 2018 NFL Draft choices. They both were selected in the first round of the event and have produced great careers to this point. Just a day ago, Allen (No. 3) and Jackson (No. 2) were ranked amongst the league’s best players.
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Allen and Jackson have experienced their 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 is predicated on power; Jackson’s is more finesse. Historically, 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). His 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.
Allen’s edge in passing yards is counteracted somewhat by Jackson’s advantage on the ground. The Baltimore Ravens’ quarterbacks has 2,000 more rushing yards (6,173) than the Buffalo Bills’ passer (4,142). Overall, though, Allen has roughly 4,000 more total yards than Jackson in their respective careers.
Notably, Lamar Jackson’s 2024 season ended at the hands and legs of Josh 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 a 27-25 Buffalo 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 looked at each man’s final stat line, you’d believe Jackson was the much better player in the game. But turnovers, as they always seem to, gave the winning team a much larger margin for error. And at the end of the day, the Bills capitalized on the Ravens’ misfortune.
Last season’s painful ending could be the motivational 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. E.T on NBC.
