Two of the NFL’s brightest stars are set to collide when Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens face Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in a much-anticipated AFC Divisional Round matchup on Sunday.
Both quarterbacks, drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, are coming off stellar seasons and are expected to top the MVP race this year.
Jackson and Allen’s commanding dominance has carried into the postseason, with each leading their team to emphatic victories in the Wild Card Round.
Despite the parallels in their careers, Jackson has made it clear that camaraderie with his peers isn’t his style.
“I don’t really chill with people in the offseason, especially not other quarterbacks,” Jackson said. “Don’t get me wrong. There’s no problem or anything like that, but we’re competing against each other. Like, I’m trying to beat you. I’m not trying to be your friend.”
When it comes to Allen, Jackson believes the shared experiences of their careers will ultimately link them together in the long run.
“When we’re older, we’ll probably laugh about it,” Jackson said. “But right now, it’s serious. I ain’t laughing with you.”
Let’s be honest, the vast majority of fans hate how buddy-buddy professional sports has become.
While football is better in this regard compared to some other sports, the whole jersey-swapping culture has annoyed most fans.
You have to give credit to Jackson for having an old-school competitor mindset, understanding that Josh Allen is his enemy on Sunday, not his friend.
Like the rest of the league, Jackson was quick to praise Allen’s playmaking abilities, singling out his knack for improvisation on the fly.
“His uniqueness of just making things happen when plays break down. Strong arm. Can make any throw on the field,” Jackson said of Allen.
The two quarterbacks are no strangers to postseason clashes. They met in the 2020 playoffs, where Jackson was held to 162 passing yards and threw a costly pick-six in a 17-3 Ravens loss.
However, Baltimore exacted some revenge earlier this season with a dominant Week 4 performance, smothering Allen and the Bills in a 35-10 win.
Allen acknowledged the lessons learned from that devastating loss.
“I feel like we’ve grown quite a bit since that game,” he said. “I obviously learned a lot from those moments. Going back and watching it, obviously wasn’t our best effort. Felt like we didn’t play our best football, but they got a really good team, too.”
While Allen tried to downplay the head-to-head narrative, he didn’t hide his excitement for the high-stakes encounter.
“I think that’s why you play this game, is to be in moments like these,” he said.
I think I speak for the entire football world when I say I can’t wait for this game to kick off.
With respect to the other matchups of the weekend, Bills-Ravens is undoubtedly the highlight of the Divisional Round.
What are your thoughts on the matchup? … Should Allen and the Bills feel disrespected that they’re home underdogs?
When it’s all said and done, who do you see winning and advancing on to the AFC Championship Game???
