Bills' Playoff Win vs. Broncos Has NFL Fans Excited for Josh Allen vs. Lamar, Ravens

Featured Columnist IVJanuary 12, 2025

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 12: Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills warms up prior to playing the Denver Broncos during the AFC Wild Card Playoffs at Highmark Stadium on January 12, 2025 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images

Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson. Two of the biggest protagonists of the 2024 season now stand in each other's way with Super Bowl aspirations on the line, and the coming showdown should be pure cinema.

The Buffalo Bills quarterback ensured his team would get another shot at the Baltimore Ravens this season, throwing for 272 yards and two scores while rushing for 46 yards in Sunday's 31-7 win over the Denver Broncos.

Buffalo Bills @BuffaloBills
WOW. 📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLonCBS</a> <a href="https://t.co/hwHQskhBo3">pic.twitter.com/hwHQskhBo3</a>

Buffalo Bills @BuffaloBills
CUE THE SHOUT SONG!! 📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/NFLonCBS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NFLonCBS</a> <a href="https://t.co/6bwDImGDJH">pic.twitter.com/6bwDImGDJH</a>

That sets up a Divisional Round matchup between Allen and Jackson, the two favorites for this year's MVP award. It will be just the second time the two men have faced off in the playoffs, with Buffalo beating Baltimore in the Divisional Round back in 2020 by a 17-3 margin. This season, the Ravens beat the Bills 35-10 in Week 4, adding another spicy storyline to an already sizzling matchup.

So yes, NFL fans are prepping the popcorn:

Bleacher Report @BleacherReport
Josh Allen took Lamar's record of 602 YDS from last night's game 😅 These two are going to be going back and forth on this record 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/BcMmUS9Abq">pic.twitter.com/BcMmUS9Abq</a>

Cameron Wolfe @CameronWolfe
Bills vs. Ravens next weekend in Orchard Park. Lamar vs. Josh. Forget MVP debates. It's settled on the field. Can't wait. <a href="https://t.co/DwoeF753Fr">pic.twitter.com/DwoeF753Fr</a>

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Larry. 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ 🥳 @lonerisms_
Lamar Jackson vs Josh Allen <a href="https://t.co/vv3aUtxW9x">pic.twitter.com/vv3aUtxW9x</a>

Field Yates @FieldYates
Ravens vs. Bills is gonna be so epic

Shea Serrano @SheaSerrano
RAVENS-BILLS next week football armageddon it's gonna be so wildly out of pocket on here i can't wait

The Higgs Show @TheHiggsShow
Lamar Jackson vs Josh Allen matchup is must-see TV. I for sure think Lamar's supporting cast is better but you can never count out Josh Superman Allen.

The Entertainah @TheEntertainah
Lamar vs Josh Allen wow.... I can't wait to watch that matchup next week.

Lil meat Pete @VICDAMONEJR___
Lamar vs Josh Allen is gonna be good

Young Prince @YoungPrince_
Lamar Jackson vs Josh Allen gonna be a movie next week

Lahi @LahiAlwaysRight
Josh Allen VS Lamar Jackson The Twitter Super Bowl get ur takes ready lol <a href="https://t.co/ppfIJxFjQa">https://t.co/ppfIJxFjQa</a>

The hype for next week is real. The much-anticipated matchup will come to fruition because Allen was awesome on Sunday, which has been par for the course this season.

trey wingo @wingoz
What better way to explain the unicorn that is Josh Allen: he's tied for the most rushing TDs in <a href="https://twitter.com/BuffaloBills?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BuffaloBills</a> franchise history as a QB, and he just passed Jin Kelly for the most post season passing TDs in Bills history. <a href="https://t.co/9EbIak76lD">pic.twitter.com/9EbIak76lD</a>

Shea Serrano @SheaSerrano
4th and 1 and you throw a 30+ yard frozen pea through a keyhole for a touchdown josh allen is a maniac

Bradley Gelber @BradleyGelber
Josh Allen is such a magician at creating space where there is none.

Adam Schein @AdamSchein
Remember when Josh Allen didn't get voted first team all-pro QB? I think he does…

It remains to be seen if Allen will win MVP after throwing for 3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions during the regular season, completing 63.6 percent of his passes while also rushing for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns. The fact that Jackson was voted first-team All-Pro at quarterback, not Allen, is an indication of how the MVP voting—which already concluded—will likely play out.

But if Allen and the Bills beat the Ravens next week and keep their Super Bowl hopes alive, it's hard to imagine the MVP will be of much concern in Buffalo. The ultimate goal is a title, and getting through Jackson and the Ravens would fuel the Allen stans for the foreseeable future.

That storyline aside, it should be a fun matchup on its own merits, with two of the more explosive offenses—and two defenses that have been prone to getting gashed against good teams—facing off. The expectation is that the winner will face Patrick Mahomes and the inevitable Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.

The stage is set for quite the final act to the NFL season, in other words. Audiences, in particular, have been eagerly anticipating the Allen vs. Jackson showdown scene.