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The NFL season moves to Week 15, and the MVP race is heating up. There are now just four real candidates for the 2024 NFL MVP Award, and in Week 14, the leader of this list may have wrapped up the trophy. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen made NFL history in a thrilling 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, and in doing so, should cement his place as the recipient of the hardware.
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills QB
The NFL MVP Award generally goes to the best quarterback on one of the best teams in the league, so losses often hurt the candidate’s case. While this is usually true, Josh Allen was so good in the Bills’ Week 14 loss that he actually may have won the award in a week his team took an L.
Allen became the first player in NFL history to score three rushing and three passing touchdowns in a single game. His offense put up 42 points, yet the Bills made history by becoming the first team to lose a game while scoring six touchdowns with no turnovers.
The Buffalo defense and its coaching staff let down Allen by failing to stop the run, not being able to cover Puka Nacua, and by calling a QB sneak late in the game, wasting its first second-half timeout. None of this changes the fact that Allen is the best player in football right now.
With 3,033 passing yards, 23 passing TDs, just five interceptions, and nine rushing scores, Allen has excellent numbers in all these statistical QB categories with four games to play. Barring a major collapse, Allen is the MVP.
2. Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia Eagles RB
Not winning the NFL MVP Award in 2024 should take away nothing from Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who is having an incredible season. He should win NFL Offensive Player of the Year in a walk, as his 1,623 rushing yards and 1,890 yards from scrimmage lead the league.
In Week 14, Barkley had another great game in a victory, putting up 124 rushing yards, his ninth 100-plus-yard rushing game of the season.
Barkley has done nothing wrong to land second in the NFL MVP Power Rankings, but the fact is, he is a running back, and that position simply doesn’t affect the game as much as a great quarterback does.
In any other season, when a player like Allen isn’t doing what he’s doing, this could easily be Barkley’s trophy.
3. Jared Goff, Detroit Lions QB
Despite being third in the NFL MVP Power Rankings heading into Week 15, Lions QB Jared Goff probably has the best chance to unseat Allen at the top of this list. Like Allen, is is also a signal-caller, and his team goes head-to-head with the Bills on Sunday.
Goff actually has more passing yards (3,265) and touchdowns (25) than Allen, although he has nearly 400 fewer rushing yards and no rushing scores this season. Still, his Lions are 12-1 to the Bills 10-3, and if that moves to 13-1 vs. 10-4 after Week 15, there will be some calls for Goff to win this award.
Still, if you do the MVP thought exercise where you swap Allen and Goff, the Lions would be as good or even slightly better with Allen, while the Bills wouldn’t be nearly as good with Goff under center.
4. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens QB
The Ravens’ Lamar Jackson has the best stats of any of the NFL MVP Award QB candidates. He edges Goff by 25 passing yards and four passing touchdowns and had the edge over Allen by 262 rushing yards, yet has scored six fewer times with his legs than the Bills signal-caller.
The biggest knock on Jackson is that his Ravens are just 8-5 on the season, despite getting an incredible season from offseason acquisition Derrick Henry. Of course, wins and losses have a lot to do with aspects other than QB play, but the truth of the NFL MVP Award is that record matters a lot.
Jackson could move up this list, especially with big games against the playoff-bound Pittsburgh Steelers and Houston Texans in Week 16 and Week 17, respectively, but it would probably be too little, too late to jump Allen, Goff, and Barkley.
