Lamar Jackson vs Josh Allen: NFL legacy on the line for two QBs in Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills playoff meeting | NFL News happymamay

Two of the NFL’s leading quarterbacks — both of whom have yet to win a Super Bowl — could move one step closer to that ultimate goal when Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen meet in the playoffs.

With the Kansas City Chiefs looking to clinch an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl, Jackson and Allen have often been the collateral damage left in the wake of their five-year dynasty.

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Jackson and Buffalo Bills QB Allen were both drafted in 2018, a year after the Chiefs selected Patrick Mahomes and sparked their surprising rise to the top of the NFL.

Long live the NFL

Sunday, January 19 at 11:30 p.m

Mahomes has led the Chiefs to four of the last five Super Bowls, winning three of them, and while Jackson has rivaled him for the league’s MVP awards during that span (two), and Allen is considered the favorite to capture his first award this season, the duo have fallen short. More often than not, Mahomes has had the same success: in the playoffs.

Jackson is 3-4 in the playoffs, and Allen’s touch has improved at 6-5 but neither can light the torch in Mahomes’ impressive 15-3 record.

One of their records will improve this weekend, when the Jackson Ravens and Allen’s Bills meet in an AFC Divisional Round game in Buffalo. Live on Sky Sports NFLSunday, 11:30 p.m. — but the other will score another “L” in the playoff loss column.

“This is a heritage game [for Jackson and Allen]”,” Sky Sports Neil Reynolds said on the latest episode of the Inside The Huddle podcast. “They both struggled in the divisional round and beyond.

“Lamar Jackson is 1-3 in the divisional round or later, and Josh Allen is 1-4.

“Their Super Bowl windows are open, but Patrick Mahomes is there waiting ready to spoil all the fun if necessary.

“Someone’s got to get a Super Bowl at some point.”

Long live the NFL

Saturday, January 18 at 9 pm

Indeed, Mahomes could be in store again as a winner’s reward, with the Chiefs hosting the Houston Texans. Live on Sky Sports NFLSaturday, 9:30 p.m. – in another AFC Divisional Round match.

While Mahomes and Kansas City are the No. 1 seeds in the conference and carry such a Super Bowl pedigree, the 2024 season has been a bizarre season with 11 of their 15 wins by just eight points or fewer.

They rank 17th in yards per game (327.6) — Baltimore’s best in class at 424.9 — and 15th in points per game (22.6), compared to Buffalo’s second-best in the NFL mark of 30.9, with the Ravens falling behind Closely at 30.5. .

Sunday’s meeting is also the first in playoff history between two quarterbacks who have accounted for more than 40 TDs and fewer than 10 turnovers in a single season (Jackson: 45 total TDs, nine giveaways / Allen: 41 total TDs, eight giveaways).

That’s why the divisional round meeting between the duo has been highly anticipated, although the Chiefs may be waiting for the winner. Could the Ravens and/or Bills finally prove too strong for Mahomes and his teammates?

“I think the team that wins this game can win the Super Bowl,” he said. Sky Sports Phoebe Scheckter, former coach with the Bills.

“Both teams have struggled with their identity in the postseason at times. Lamar and the Ravens have both openly said they should have run the ball more,” he said. [in playoff loss to the Chiefs] Last year, we saw the Bills’ struggles.

“It’s very hard to pick this one, because both teams are exceptional in so many different ways, and these midfielders are so great in the big moments.

“In Buffalo, it’s funny because this was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Their defense is what I’m most concerned about, but I’m going with the Bills to win this game.”

Watch the Baltimore Ravens take on the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round of the playoffs, live on Sky Sports NFL on Sunday, with kick-off at 11.30pm.