Admin December 3, 2024
Bills secure AFC East, Ravens continue with self-inflicted wounds
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 13 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
Josh Allen – wearing his blue Buffalo Bills jersey, diving toward the pylon on a snow-filled field to score a touchdown – may have delivered the indelible image of the NFL MVP race in 2024.
The Bills’ star saw a short pass to Amari Cooper nearly end in a loss of yards. So, Allen thought quickly on his feet. He ran toward Cooper, catching a pass from the receiver, and sprinted toward the end zone with that dive at the goal line.
The hook-and-ladder play was recorded as a passing and receiving touchdown for Allen, who later added a rushing touchdown in Buffalo’s 35-10 dismantling of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football.
It may have also locked up Allen’s first career NFL MVP award.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports’ NFL MVP rankings after Week 13:
5. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts
Jalen Hurts needed just 11 completions, a tush push and another steady diet of handoffs to Saquon Barkley to stay in fifth place of our MVP rankings.
Hurts threw a touchdown and scored a rushing touchdown in Philadelphia’s 24-19 win over the Baltimore Ravens last week. He was 11 of 19 for 118 passing yards, with 29 rushing yards in the win.
Hurts is second in the NFL with 12 rushing touchdowns – trailing Derrick Henry (13), while just ahead of Saquon Barkley (11). He also remains in the Top 10 with a 68.4 completion percentage, 101.8 passer rating, and 64.5 QBR.
More important to Hurts’ MVP case: The Eagles won their eighth straight game to remain atop the NFC East while just a game behind the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
4. Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, stock even
The reigning, back-to-back Super Bowl champions continue to find ways to win close games. Sometimes, it just takes the other team messing up to do so.
Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton pounced on a botched snap by the Las Vegas Raiders in the closing seconds to escape with a 19-17 win at home on Black Friday.
Mahomes was 26 of 46 for 306 yards and a touchdown pass in the win, which extended Kansas City’s record to 14 consecutive wins by one possession. The Chiefs are 11-1, clinched a playoff berth, and remain the top overall seed in the AFC playoff mix.
Mahomes is in the Top 10 with 19 touchdown passes (eighth), 2,979 passing yards (ninth) and a 64.6 QBR (ninth). But he leads the NFL with four fourth-quarter comebacks and six game-winning drives, boosting his case for his third NFL MVP.
3. Lions QB Jared Goff, stock even
Like the Chiefs, the Lions scored a victory last week as their opponent unraveled in the final minutes.
Goff was 21 of 34 for 221 yards and two touchdown passes in the Lions’ 23-20 win over the Bears, relying on their defense to slow Caleb Williams’ comeback attempt on Thanksgiving.
It was Detroit’s 10th straight win, keeping the Lions in the No. 1 seed atop the NFC playoff standings. But the Eagles (10-2) aren’t far behind, while the Vikings (10-2) and Packers (9-3) also loom in the NFC North.
Goff has the second-best passer rating (109.0) and completion percentage (71.8) in the NFL, while his 22 touchdown passes rank fifth among quarterbacks. Leading the best team in the NFC continues to boost Goff’s MVP case.
2. Ravens QB Lamar Jackson, stock down
Another loss, and another week down the MVP rankings.
Jackson was 23 of 36 for 237 yards with two touchdown passes and 79 yards rushing, but he could not elevate the Ravens past two missed field goals and a missed extra point by kicker Justin Tucker against the Eagles last week.
Jackson leads the NFL with a 116.3 passer rating, and is second behind Joe Burrow with 29 touchdown passes. But the Ravens suffered their fifth loss of the season.
Baltimore – which relinquished the AFC North lead to the Steelers two weeks ago – finds itself sixth in the playoff picture, behind the Los Angeles Chargers.
The club is headed toward a postseason where they could be on the road for its playoff games, which is a major disappointment considering Jackson’s dynamic play alongside Derrick Henry this season.
1. Bills QB Josh Allen, stock up
Allen retakes the top spot in our MVP rankings after the Bills’ bye last week. He has in the NFL’s fourth-best QBR at 73.0, while sixth with 20 touchdown passes and 10th with a 100.3 passer rating. His six rushing touchdowns are tied with Commanders rookie Jayden Daniels for the most by a quarterback this season.
But the bigger story in Allen’s MVP case is how the Bills are performing:
The Bills are just a game behind the Chiefs for the No. 1 overall seed in the AFC playoff picture. They clinched the AFC East with five games remaining after their win over the 49ers on Sunday.
They have scored 30 or more points in six straight games. And they have won seven in a row.
It all lines up to Allen being the frontrunner to win his first NFL MVP.