Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen: Two quarterbacks’ NFL legacies at stake in Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills playoff matchup

When Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen meet in the playoffs, the NFL’s two top quarterbacks — neither of whom has yet to win a Super Bowl — can get one step closer to their ultimate goal.

As the Kansas City Chiefs look to pull off an unprecedented three-peat Super Bowl title, Jackson and Allen have often become collateral damage in their five-year dynasty.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Jackson and Buffalo Bills quarterback Allen were both drafted in 2018, a year after the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes, sparking their sudden rise to the top of the NFL.

Mahomes has led the Chiefs to four of the last five Super Bowls, winning three of them, while Jackson has competed with him for the league MVP award (twice) during that span, while Allen won his first this season Super Bowl favorites, the duo often struggled in the area where Mahomes excels, the playoffs.

Jackson was 3-4 in the postseason and Allen was 6-5, but neither could stop Mahomes’ incredible 15-3 record.

This weekend, when Jackson’s Ravens and Allen’s Bills meet in the AFC Divisional Round in Buffalo, one of their records will improve — Sky Sports NFL live broadcastSunday, 11:30 p.m. — but the other side will write another “L” in the playoff loss column.

“It’s a traditional game (between Jackson and Allen),” sky sports’ Neil Reynolds said on the latest episode of the Inside The Huddle podcast. “They struggled in conference play and beyond.

“Lamar Jackson is 1-3 in the divisional round or later, Josh Allen is 1-4.

“Their Super Bowl window is open, but Patrick Mahomes is there waiting, ready to ruin all the fun if necessary.

“One of these quarterbacks has to win a Super Bowl at some point.”

In fact, Mahomes may once again be waiting for the winner’s reward when the Chiefs host the Houston Texans – Sky Sports NFL live broadcastSaturday, 9:30 p.m. — Another divisional round game in the AFC.

Even though Mahomes and Kansas City are the top seed in the division and have such a stellar Super Bowl pedigree, the 2024 season has been a weird one, with 11 of their 15 wins coming by eight points or less.

They rank 17th in yards per game (327.6), Baltimore is best in the class with 424.9 yards and 15th in points per game (22.6 points), while Buffalo ranks second in the NFL, at 30.9 points, followed by the Ravens at 30.5 points.

Sunday’s game was also the first time in postseason history that two quarterbacks threw for more than 40 touchdowns and fewer than 10 turnovers in a season (Jackson: 45 total touchdowns, 9 touchdowns/Allen: total 41 touchdowns, 8 carries).

That’s why a divisional round matchup between the two is so anticipated, and while the Chiefs could wait for a winner, will the Ravens and/or Bills ultimately prove too strong for Mahomes and company?

“I think the team that wins this game is probably going to win the Super Bowl,” said sky sports’ Phoebe Schecter, former Bills coach.

“Both teams have struggled with their identity at times in the playoffs. Lamar and the Ravens publicly said last year that they should run the ball more (in a playoff loss to the Chiefs), and we’ve seen On to the Bills’ struggles.

“It’s a tough game to pick because these two teams are great in so many ways and these quarterbacks are so good down the stretch.

“It’s a fun thing in Buffalo because it’s supposed to be a rebuilding year. Their defense is my biggest concern, but I’m going to win this game with the Bills.”

Watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs, live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday at 11.30pm.

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