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MVP Race After Week 14: Allen makes history, Barkley sets franchise record, Goff and Mahomes keep winning

The Buffalo Bills might have had their win streak snapped on Sunday in Los Angeles, but Josh Allen made history and increased his odds to win the MVP.

The Buffalo Bills might have had their win streak snapped on Sunday in Los Angeles, but Josh Allen made history and increased his odds to win the MVP.
Gary A. VasquezUSA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

The final stretch of the regular season is upon us and that doesn’t just mean playoff races are heating up, so too is the MVP race, but it’s starting to look like a one horse race. Josh Allen did something that has never been done in the history of the NFL to further his chances and increase his odds to win his first award. Saquon Barkley set an Eagles franchise record, and is eyeing the NFL’s single season rushing record. Jared Goff kept the Lions at the top of the NFC on a Thursday night shootout in Detroit, and Patrick Maomes did the same thing for the Chiefs in the AFC in what turned out to be a slugfest from Arrowhead.

Josh Allen, QB, Buffalo Bills (-450)

If the Bills would have come back and won the game in LA after being down 17 heading into the 4th quarter, we could have ended the conversation then and there. Allen would have been the MVP of the league hands down. The Bills didn’t win, but Allen still had a game that will go down in the history books of the National Football League. The Bills QB accounted for each of their six total TDs in the highest scoring game of the season. He had three passing TDs, three rushing TDs and literally carried his team to the finish line despite coming up just short. We expected Allen to have to do this from time to time this season after his top targets from last year were let go in the offseason. Luckily he hasn’t had to be as heroic as he was on Sunday every week, but he showed when he needs to take a game over he is more than capable. It wasn’t just the six total TDs, it was the video game type numbers he put up against the Rams. He had 342 yards passing, and another 82 yards rushing. Those are the kind of numbers Heisman Trophy winner put up against Bethune Cookman University, or The Citadel. You aren’t supposed to have those kind of stats in an NFL game against a good team that has a real chance to get to the playoffs.

Pass stats: 64.1% CMP, 3,033 YDS, 23 TD, 5 INTs, 101.9 RTG

Run stats: 80 CAR, 416 YDS, 9 TD

Saquon Barkley, RB, Philadelphia Eagles (+400)

It wasn’t as easy as it looked on paper for the Eagles who stretched their win streak to nine games against the Carolina Panthers. It may not have been that easy for the Eagles, but Saquon Barkley made it look as easy as always. He had his fourth straight 100 yard rushing game, and set a franchise record for rushing yards in a season. While that’s great, Barkley has his eyes set on a different record. He wants the single season record held by Erik Dickerson who had 2,105 yards back in 1984. And if we know Saquon like we think we do, he’ll want to do it in the 16 games that Dickerson played, and not the 17 game schedule that the NFL teams have nowadays. Only 392 yards separates Barkley from the single season rushing record. If he is going to break it in three games he’ll need to average 131 yards per game. He may not be favorite for the MVP, but he is a lock to win the Offensive Player of the Year, and what’s even more important to him and the Eagles, is they are in the hunt for the one seed and home field advantage in the playoffs.

Rush stats: 266 CAR, 1,623 YDS, 6.1 YPC, 11 TD

Receiving stats: 29 REC, 267 YDS, 2 TD

Jared Goff, QB, Detroit Lions (+1300)

Goff and the Lions took the Thursday night spotlight in an NFC North battle that was going to shape the playoff picture for the rest of the regular season. Riding a 10 game win streak, Lions squeaked by the Packers to stretch their streak to 11 and stay on top of the NFC standings. Goff knew it was going to lie on his shoulders if the streak was going to continue with a defense that was decimated heading into Week 14. That meant lighting up the scoreboard, but also consuming time off the clock to keep the banged up defense off the field for as long as he could. Each of the four TD drives the Lions had consisted of 10+ play and 5+ minute drives. His numbers were great, passing for 283 yards, 3 TDs and an INT, but the way he controlled the game was genius. The pièce de résistance was the Lions 11 play, game winning drive that wound the clock down to 2 seconds after a gutsy 4th and 1 conversion that set up a Jake Bates field goal. Goff went 6/6 on the drive and the Lions stayed at the top of the NFC as Detroit continues to look like the best team in the league.

Pass stats: 72.4% CMP, 3,265 YDS, 25 TD, 10 INT, 109.7 RTG

Run stats: 29 CAR, 47 YDS, 0 TD

Lamar Jackson, QB, Baltimore Ravens (+1400)

Jackson got a much needed BYE week which might have dropped him out of contention for a second straight, and third overall MVP but he and the Ravens have bigger fish to fry. The Ravens are resting and recovering for a final push in the regular season, and more importantly a deep playoff run in which Jackson will be hoping to prove to the world that he can win the big one. With five losses on the season, it’s looking like Jackson isn’t just going to have to win one big one. He’s going to have to win a few big ones. Jackson still has a chance to be the first player ever with 4,000 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing in a season, but he’ll have to average 177.5 yards passing and 80.5 yards rushing over the final four games of the season.

Pass stats: 67% CMP, 3,290 YDS, 29 TD, 3 INT, 101.3 RTG

Run stats: 111 CAR, 678 YDS, 3 TD

Patrick Mahomes, QB, Kansas City Chiefs (+4000)

The script is getting more and more predictable for the Chiefs as the season goes on. These late game, high drama situations that KC seem to put themselves in on a weekly basis aren’t spectacular for three and a half quarters but the Chiefs have figured out their recipe for success and it seems to be working. Patrick Mahomes’ numbers are getting better as the season goes on and the team gets healthier, but that hasn’t translated to higher margins of victory. KC’s last six wins have all been by one possession and the average margin of victory in those games is less than 6 points. The difference between them and the teams they beat is simple. They have Patrick Mahomes and the other teams don’t. The way they are winning has almost become monotonous. They don’t play great until they absolutely need to, and then with the game on the line, their QB puts on his superman cape and makes a game winning play. It happened against the Chargers on Sunday night, and it’s happened in just about every game this season. In the end Mahomes’ numbers may not be MVP worthy, but the Chiefs are back-to-back defending champions, they are 12-1, Mahomes is a two time MVP. He deserves to be in the conversation, even if he isn’t going to win the award.

Pass stats: 68.1% CMP, 3,189 YDS, 20 TD, 11 INT, 88.8 RTG

Run stats: 50 CAR, 248 YDS, 1 TD

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