Baltimore Beatdown
Stunningly, Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson loses to QB Josh Allen for NFL MVP.
After leading one of the NFL’s most historical offenses in history, setting the fourth-best passer rating in NFL history and producing higher numbers this season than he did last season when he won the 2023 AP NFL Most Valuable Player award, quarterback Lamar Jackson places second to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen in 2024. Below are the reactions from the Baltimore Beatdown staff.
Absurd. Preposterous. Ludicrous. Nonsensical. And yet, it’s not unthinkable because someway, somehow, Lamar Jackson’s greatness continues to be underappreciated. Yes, a two-time NFL MVP is underappreciated.
In what amounted to his greatest season ever, leading a team to a historical season, improving upon all metrics from his MVP season last year, the voters managed to get it wrong.
Jackson was First Team All-Pro with the same voters over Josh Allen. He was better in all metrics, save for TEAM record and QB sneaks. And yet, the voters gave Allen the nod.
Lamar Jackson was a better quarterback.
Lamar Jackson was a greater player.
Lamar Jackson’s impact was greater than Allen’s.
Lamar Jackson beat Josh Allen in the regular season head-to-head.
Lamar Jackson was better.
But the same voters who put Jackson above Allen on January 10 decided to put Allen above Jackson for NFL MVP.
The stats don’t lie. The production doesn’t lie. The competition doesn’t lie. The eye test doesn’t lie. But yet, here we bear witness to the absurdity. — Kyle Phoenix
Awards shows get it wrong all the time – just look at Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture in 1999 or Macklemore’s The Heist over Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City for Best Rap Album in 2013. So it’s no surprise that Josh Allen took home MVP over Lamar Jackson, despite history being on the latter’s side.
Is Allen a deserving winner and one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL? Sure! But was he the league’s most valuable player in 2024? Absolutely not. Consider:
- Jackson’s 119.6 passer rating in 2024 is the fourth-highest single-season mark in NFL history.
- He also became the first player in NFL history to:
- Eclipse 4,000 passing yards and 900 rushing yards
- Lead the NFL in yards per passing and rushing attempt
Translation: Allen was great, but Jackson was historic. And voter fatigue is no excuse. If anyone is tired of casting their ballot, I’m sure I know someone who’s willing to take on that burden. — Nikhil Mehta
Last year, Lamar Jackson was one vote away from receiving this honor the second time unanimously despite not posting the most gaudy stats because of how he played in the biggest games and the incredible plays he put on tape each week. In 2024, Jackson not only had the best tape of any quarterback in the league but posted the stats to support being a unanimous selection for the second time in his career....
