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Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Sep 10, 2025 2:33 PM EDT
Josh Allen’s latest statement win arrived on “Sunday Night Football,” scoring 16 points in the final 3:56 while posting 394 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air with two more on the ground. The Baltimore Ravens absorbed all of it after building a 15-point cushion with Lamar Jackson’s three total touchdowns and Derrick Henry’s 169 rushing yards.
The 41-40 result snapped a 277-0 historical trend for teams that posted 40+ points and 235+ rushing yards and instantly ignited early debate over who will win this year’s league MVP.
By Wednesday, the markets reflected an early favorite. Allen nudged ahead as a narrow MVP frontrunner around +340, after starting the season at +600, per Caesars Sportsbook. Jackson, meanwhile, settled close behind at +450, followed by Jayden Daniels (+1000) and a tightening tier of Patrick Mahomes (+1100) and Joe Burrow (+1100).
However, surprisingly, the market shift diverged from a fresh ESPN poll of executives and scouts, reported by Jeremy Fowler, who still tabbed Jackson as their MVP choice, despite having just lost and being largely outperformed by Allen, who received the second-most votes.
Ravens QB Lamar Jackson
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) runs with the ball against the Buffalo Bills. — Source: © Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Fowler framed Jackson’s chase for a third MVP, which would place him alongside Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady, Brett Favre and Johnny Unitas and outlined why evaluators still favor him: dual-threat touchdown production, a .736 career win percentage, improved ball security since 2024 and a strong Year 2 with offensive coordinator Todd Monken after his first 4,000-yard passing season.
One AFC executive cited Jackson’s improving pocket play and supporting cast while noting that, “Playing better in the big games in January will always be the thing with him, but I feel like that’s a matter of time.”
NFL.com’s analyst panel on Aug. 27 had Jackson as the most-picked MVP (+550 with 11 votes), narrowly ahead of Burrow (+650 with nine votes) and Mahomes (+700 with four votes).
On the eve of Week 1, ESPN’s broader panel of commentators also placed Jackson and Burrow atop the MVP projections with 22 and 20 votes, respectively, with Allen (eight votes) drawing support but behind the top two.
The season’s still young and while Allen’s performance on Sunday seemed to have swayed some of the public, NFL execs clearly believe it’s still Jackson’s award to lose, for the time being.
About the author
Trending News Writer, Athlon Sports
Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a contributing writer to the Athlon Sports trending and breaking news team.