Buffalo Rumblings
Josh Allen beat out Lamar Jackson, but it was a tumultuous process from the middle of the 2024 season.
I didn’t actually watch the NFL Honors this year. What I watched instead was the anticipation and reactions from fans of the Buffalo Bills. Thanks to the lead up to the event, most of us were heavy with emotions surrounding the MVP award and weren’t afraid of expressing them. Anger and trepidation were commonly seen, but so too were hope that our very own Josh Allen would take home the biggest “non-Super Bowl” award of the year. I think we’ve always cared about this, but this time felt different. I wanted to discuss the rollercoaster the media put us through this year.
Now that Josh Allen is the NFL’s MVP, here are some things I want to point out.
Voting is done by a nationwide poll of members of the media. This section is not intended to villainize anyone but it is intended to remind everyone of the purpose of sports media. Namely, to drive interaction to whatever platform said media member is a part of. Again, I’m not trying to demonize anyone here especially since literally what I’m doing right now is what I’m bringing up.
If I had to wager I think the vast majority of people in the media business sincerely enjoy the sport they cover and are appreciative of the opportunity to do so for a living (or side hustle). That said, you won’t be doing what you enjoy very long if you can’t create clicks, views, etc. Being candid, there’s typically an affinity to the attention as well.
How did we get such an emotional roller coaster this season? Let’s lay out some quick facts. About midseason, when Buffalo was dropping 30+ points on literally everyone, it seemed like a consensus pick that Josh Allen would get his first MVP. That’s critical for the conversation that the narrative wasn’t unanimous, but it was very focused on Allen.
But then dissent crept in. Lamar Jackson’s name started gaining steam as well as a few others. By the end of the season it seemed the scales had tipped away from Allen to Jackson. It was to the point with some outlets that it felt like it drifted into Allen being completely undeserving which was wild.
When the two teams faced off in the playoffs, emotionally it felt like the winner of that game would take home the award. That is illogical as the votes are tallied before the playoffs begin. The award had already been chosen but the narrative of “versus” between the two men hadn’t died down.
In the end, now we know Josh Allen got his first rather than Lamar Jackson getting his third. I still maintain both were deserving and the votes reflect a similar opinion with things being pretty evenly split.
Stagnation could have...
