Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are neck and neck in the MVP race, with little separating them. As the debate heats up, Emmanuel Acho names the sole distinguishing feature between the two. While there is no doubt about their abilities, the former linebacker believes Allen’s struggle with limited offensive weapons, as compared to Jackson’s wealth of support, could be the deciding factor.
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The FS1 analyst expanded on how Allen has had to create something out of nothing, while Lamar was expected to do what he’s done so far.
“Simply put, Josh Allen has to do just as much, if not more, with less,” he explained.
Acho then talked about how, while watching the game on Saturday, he kept asking himself who the best player on the Ravens offense is – a question that Derrick Henry has a legitimate case for.
“The Ravens offense has two hall of famers. The Bills offense just has Josh Allen.”
Say what you want about Lamar and the Ravens, it’s a legitimate point to bring up in the debate. While Lamar is valuable to his team, there is a running back who has proven to be adequately comparable to him.
.@EmmanuelAcho makes his case for Josh Allen to win MVP over Lamar Jackson
“If something has to be the difference maker, what Josh Allen is doing with whom he is doing it with is what separates them.” pic.twitter.com/3CzB4XH9Ez
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) December 23, 2024
Henry has rushed for 1636 yards on the season, good for second in the NFL behind Saquon Barkley. He’s also third in the NFL in total touchdowns by non-QBs, with 15. Henry has always been the Robin that Lamar needed as Batman, and it should give them a great shot to win it all.
Allen, on the other hand, has been throwing to above-average players, at best. And sure, James Cook has more touchdowns this year than Henry with 16. But Cook is 15th in the NFL in rushing yards. He’s benefitted from a ton of goal-line carries that have been set up by stellar Josh Allen drives.
Cook hasn’t even eclipsed 1000 rushing yards on the season. Meanwhile, his quarterback Allen has more than half of the yards with 514.
This proves Acho’s point that the Bills are relying more on Allen, making him the oddsmakers’ favorite. According to DK Sportsbook, Allen is sitting with -550 odds to win the award. Jackson is sitting at +400.
But Acho’s narrative doesn’t present a complete picture of the two sides. He mentions that Lamar easily beat Allen earlier in the season, but he no longer considers this argument because the Ravens QB lost winnable games to the Raiders and Browns. Well, maybe you should count that game, because the Ravens didn’t just win – they dominated Allen and the Bills. It was a 35-10, no-contest performance from Lamar and the Ravens.
The MVP race has been a hotly contested topic as we inch closer to the award announcement. There’s still plenty of time for both sides to make a case, as it won’t be announced until February 7th, just days before the Super Bowl. But one thing is for sure – it’s a two-horse race, and it’s not particularly close.
