NFL

Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen: How QBs stack up ahead of Ravens-Bills showdown

The MVP frontrunners will face off in a highly anticipated divisional round matchup.

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The No. 2 Buffalo Bills beat the No. 7 Denver Broncos during Wild Card Weekend to advance to the divisional round.

It's the matchup NFL fans have been waiting for.

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Buffalo to battle Josh Allen and the Bills in the divisional round on Sunday.

The two quarterbacks have been intertwined since they entered the league, as they were both members of the 2018 draft class. Now, they are MVP frontrunners eyeing a spot in the AFC Championship Game with a chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in New Orleans.

Before the highly anticipated matchup kicks off, let's check the tale of the tape on Jackson vs. Allen.

Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen record

Jackson is 3-1 against Josh Allen in the regular season.

The two QBs made their NFL debuts against one another to open the 2018 season. Both players entered the game as backups with the Ravens steamrolling the Bills 47-3.

Jackson was victorious in the first head-to-head matchup against Allen as a starter on Dec. 8, 2019. Jackson, the eventual NFL MVP that season, tossed three touchdowns in a 24-17 road victory.

Allen got his first and only regular season win over Jackson in Baltimore on Oct. 2, 2022. After trailing 14-3 in the first quarter, Allen had a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown to go along with four Tyler Bass field goals in a 23-20 win.

Jackson got the better of Allen and the Bills in their primetime showdown earlier this season. Baltimore dominated both sides of the ball and came away with a 35-10 home win in Week 4.

Have Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen ever faced off in the playoffs?

Allen and Jackson have only met in the playoffs once, and the Ravens signal caller was unable to play the full game.

After struggling to put points on the board, Jackson left the 2020 divisional round matchup in Buffalo in the second half with a concussion. The Bills went on to pick up a 17-3 win.

Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen's 2024 stats

Both Jackson and Allen put together MVP-caliber seasons in 2024.

While NFL MVP will not be awarded until the NFL Honors on Feb. 6, Jackson already earned a distinction that could hint at the potential MVP result. He was named the quarterback for the AP All-Pro First Team, receiving 30 first-place votes to Allen's 18.

Here's a breakdown of the two QB's seasons:

PlayerPassing yardsCompletion percentagePassing touchdownsInterceptionsRushing yardsRushing TDsTeam record
Lamar Jackson4,17266.7%414915412-5
Josh Allen3,73163.6%2865311213-4

Who has more MVPs?

Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, earning the honor in 2019 and 2023. He is one of 11 players to win multiple MVPs and can become the seventh player in league history to win three.

Allen, meanwhile, has never won an MVP. He has a chance to become just the third Bills player and first quarterback in franchise history to receive the award.

Has either player reached a Super Bowl?

Neither quarterback has made a trip to the Super Bowl yet in their career, and one common opponent has thwarted them in recent years.

Jackson and Allen are a combined 0-4 in the playoff careers against Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both players were primed to finally take the Chiefs out, but they lost home games to Mahomes and Co. in back-to-back weeks. Buffalo fell 27-24 to Kansas City in the divisional round before the Chiefs went to Baltimore and won the AFC title game 17-10.

The Chiefs have a divisional round matchup against the Houston Texans, and a win would mean that either Jackson or Allen would be heading to Kansas City for the AFC Championship Game. Both the Ravens and Bills have played the Chiefs this year, with the Ravens losing a Week 1 nail-biter and the Bills handing the Chiefs their their only real loss of the season in Week 11.

Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry led Baltimore to a wild-card win over the Steelers and will advance to the divisional round of the playoffs.
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