The NFL MVP is one of the most prestigious awards in the sport. While there have been rare duds, for the most part, the award is an accurate measurement of the player who had the best regular season in the league. However, the results not coming out way after the postseason has begun, there does come room for debate.
Should playoff performances matter? A name like Eli Manning may have snagged an MVP if that were the case or Patrick Mahomes could have had a case last season. This year is a different ballpark altogether though.
At the front of the line, we have Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen, standing head and shoulders above the rest of the field. With the two set to square off again in the Divisional Round, is this matchup going to count in the MVP race?
Final Day for NFL MVP Voting
The two candidates are as neck and neck as possible. While Jackson has Allen beat in the statistical category, Allen has the edge when it comes to records. Moreover, with Jackson having another OPOY candidate Derrick Henry on his team, it might detract some voters from him.
Of course, narratives play a big part in shaping the race and that could swing the momentum for the Bills quarterback too. As a team, the Ravens sent nine players to the Pro Bowl, as compared to three for Buffalo. All of these nuances are leading to a race that is far closer than any in recent memory.
The voting for NFL awards, including MVP, takes place in the week between the end of the regular season and the start of the Wild Card Round. So, for all intents and purposes, the ballots have already been cast and the MVP has been decided, even though it is yet to be declared.
Who Votes for the NFL MVP?
A panel of 50 sportswriters come together to vote on the NFL award, presented by the Associated Press. The voting takes place after the regular season and between the playoffs.
However, the results are announced the day before the Super Bowl. The names chosen to vote on the awards are ones who follow the sport religiously throughout the year and are consistent from season to season.
MORE: NFL MVP Winners: List of Each Winner by Year and Repeat Winners
Some famous names to be a part of the process include Troy Aikman, Cris Collinsworth, Tony Dungy, and Herm Edwards.
Lamar Jackson Surpasses Josh Allen in PFN’s MVP Race With Elite QB+ Metrics
Just four weeks ago, it appeared that Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was a lock for his first MVP nod since entering the NFL via the seventh overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
Jackson said: Not so fast.
Jackson is the No. 1 quarterback in the league in PFN’s QB+ metric, with a grade of 99.8 (A+). PFN’s QB+ metric assigns a letter grade to every quarterback’s performance and factors in several stats, such as success rate when pressured, third-down conversion rate, pocket production, and clutch performance.
Across the season, his QB+ number is even better than his incredible 2019 MVP season. Jackson leads the league in EPA/DB (0.31), nYPA (8.5), TD/INT rate (10.3), and tied for the league total touchdowns (45). He’s also first in the NFL in performances from a clean pocket (0.51 EPA/DB) and second when pressured (-0.00).
Although Jackson’s performance at the end of the season hasn’t been as dominant as expected, he’s still a top-five quarterback over the last four weeks. And across the entire season, Jackson has three games graded as an A- or above and just two graded below a C-.
