Sean McDermott: The Josh Allen-Lamar Jackson matchup is what everyone has been waiting for

The votes for the 2024 MVP race are already underway, but next weekend will offer another kind of referendum on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.

Allen and the Bills got past the Broncos in a dominant second half in Buffalo on Sunday afternoon, meaning the team will once again be at home in the divisional round. The Ravens, who had a similarly dominant first half against the Steelers on Saturday night, and Jackson will be the team on the other side of the field.

The two quarterbacks will almost certainly be the top two picks for the league’s top individual award, but only one of them will be able to advance to a chance to play in the Super Bowl. It’s a matchup that was on Bills head coach Sean McDermott’s mind after Sunday’s win.

“It’s what everyone’s been waiting for, right,” McDermott said, via Ryan O’Halloran of the Buffalo News.

The two teams met in Week 4 and the Ravens secured a 35-10 home victory, but the venue and stakes will be very different this time.