When it comes to opening day, no one does it quite like the National Football League. Say what you want, but Rodger Goodell knows how to schedule a Week 1. This year America’s favorite show will feature the defending AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens going to new Highmark Stadium to take on the Buffalo Bills in a divisional round rematch.
The 2023 MVP, Lamar Jackson, will be looking to exact his revenge on last season’s MVP, Josh Allen, for the heartbreaking end the Bills put on the Ravens Super Bowl hopes last January.
This will be the sixth all time matchup between the MVPs. With last year’s playoff victory, Allen broke the tie and took a three games to two lead over the Heisman trophy winner.
Aside from one blowout on each side, the rest of the series has been decided by seven points or less in every meeting.
This Sunday night should be no different, as both team’s return a majority of their productivity from the year prior with their sights set on lifting a Lombardi.
First Ever Meeting: 12/08/2019
Both Jackson and Allen were selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Allen, viewed as a high ceiling prospect out of Wyoming, heard his name early, going seventh overall.
Jackson, on the other hand, had his doubters as a Heisman trophy winner. He was considered a low ceiling thrower with exciting legs that many didn’t think would transfer to the pros. He was selected with the last pick in the first round.
The players never met in their rookie season. But in year two, the now polished stars squared off in Baltimore.
Jackson’s Ravens won handily by a score of 24-17, never trailing during the contest and leading by as much as 15 in the fourth quarter.
Lamar was 16 of 25 with just 145 yards and three touchdowns. Allen was asked to do much more, slinging it 39 times but only connecting with 17 completions for a similar total of 146 yards. He threw a single touchdown.
Split The Next Two Regular Season Matchups
The next time these two met in the regular season was three years later, on October 2nd of 2022. Buffalo trailed 20-10 at the half but held the Ravens scoreless in the second half. A last second field goal from Tyler Bass gave the Bills the win on the road, 23-20.
Both quarterbacks put on a show, each rushing for more than 70 yards on just 11 attempts each. Allen spun it more effectively, throwing for 216 yards and a touchdown, adding one on the ground as well. The Bills turned Lamar over twice.
The next meeting was the first of two meetings last season. Lamar only completed 13 passes as his Ravens trounced the Bills 35-10 off the back of a 200 yard performance form Derrick Henry handing the Bills their first loss of the season.
Allen Is 2-0 In The Playoffs
Both of these franchises are the kinds of team’s that don’t even start counting wins till they’re in the playoffs.
The first time these two met in the post season was during the Covid year. The score was 3-3 at the half in front of a crowd of 6,000 in Highmark Stadium. The Bills held Lamar’s offense out of the end zone for four quarters, winning with a final score of 17-3. Allen connected with Stefon Diggs in the third quarter for the first touchdown of the game, and a Taron Johnson 101 yard pick six put the final nail in the coffin. Allen out played Jackson and advanced.
The next time they met in the post season was just a few months ago in what would go down as an instant classic. The two signal callers, now in full MVP form, clashed in Orchard Park.
Jackson out played Allen in what was a tough game for last season’s MVP. Lamar threw for twice as many yards as Josh, and threw two touchdowns to Allen’s zero. But it was Allen’s two second quarter rushing touchdowns that got the Bills the halftime lead.
Jackson’s two minute drill, punctuated by a 24 yard dot to Isaiah Likely on the backline of the end zone brought the Bills lead to just two points. On the two point conversion attempt, hearts broke in Baltimore as Mark Andrews dropped the rock in the end zone in a play that all NFL fans will remember.
This improved Allen’s record to 2-0 all time over Lamar in the playoffs, when it matters the most.
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