Josh Allen closes in on NFL MVP award as Buffalo Bills edge Detroit Lions to underline Super Bowl credentials | NFL News

Lamar Jackson? Saquon Barkley? Josh Allen? The latter has retired as the NFL MVP favorite after another inspired performance for the Super Bowl-chasing Buffalo Bills, says Jeff Reinebold.

Allen threw for 362 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 68 yards and two scores as the Bills ended the Lions’ 11-game winning streak with a 48-42 victory in the highest-scoring game of the season of the NFL on Sunday.

He now has 15 touchdowns in the last four games, including six in last weekend’s 44-42 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

“I would say the last few weeks when you look at the Chiefs game, the Rams game and last night, he’s definitely taken off the field,” Reinebold said.

“I haven’t seen him play better. He has that rare ability of an athlete who can take over a game and make everyone in the arena and the spectators part of his show, that’s what he did against the lions

“It was a masterful performance, and not the way we’ve seen Aaron Rodgers or Patrick Mahomes make masterful plays. It was like the schoolyard and he’s the best kid and everybody’s running around trying to tag him.”

The Bills and Lions combined for 1,080 yards on the day as the NFL’s two most prolific offenses in what could still turn out to be a Super Bowl rehearsal.

It was Buffalo’s latest statement against a Detroit team that has made much of the league, Sean McDermott’s team looking to maximize a championship window in which they have come up agonizingly short in recent years.

“The Lions defense is disrupted, but you don’t go out and score 48 on anybody without being successful,” Reinebold added.

“If you’re a Bills fan, one thing you always worry about is when the game gets tough in the playoffs and the scores go down and everybody’s a little more conservative.

“If they get into a shootout, they can go toe-to-toe with anybody and that always gives you a chance.

“It’s a new day in football because, yes, defense still wins the championship, but if you can’t keep up in one of these games and you spend next week at home.”

Elsewhere, Jackson threw five touchdown passes to lead the Baltimore Ravens to a commanding victory over the New York Giants, while Barkley was limited to just 65 rushing yards after amassing 632 yards over the four previous games

Allen has now thrown for 3,395 yards and 25 touchdowns with just five interceptions this season, while also rushing for 484 yards and 11 scores.

“He’s absolutely on top of the NFL world,” he said Sky Sports NFL presenter Neil Reynolds.

“That’s fluctuated a few times. I don’t think Saquon gets it because he’s a runner, I think Lamar’s five losses hurt him. The way Josh Allen has taken over games, there’s all these plays ‘wow’ and he had the big touchdown run against the Chiefs I’d say it’s a crowded run but Josh Allen is still my MVP.

“He was like the kid who had a growth spurt before everybody else, hitting little kids in the dirt, that’s Allen at this point.

“They’ve scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, so it’s no fluke.”

Can Baker become contenders for the Bucs?

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers continued their run as postseason dark horses in a 40-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers and their No. 1 scoring defense.

Baker Mayfield turned in another outstanding showing in the middle of his pro career in Tampa, completing 22 of 27 passes for 288 yards, four touchdowns and one interception.

“He’s going to throw his body around, he inspires the players around him and that’s a tremendous quality for a quarterback,” Reinebold said.

“The other quarterbacks do it in different ways. Jalen Hurts is a little quieter but Baker wants to be one of the guys. I’m sure after the game he walks the offensive lineman down to the local pub.”

Rookie running back Bucky Irving led the way out of the backfield with 117 rushing yards, while Mike Evans continued his quest for a consecutive 1,000-yard campaign with nine catches for 159 yards and two scores. He now has 749 yards and nine touchdowns on the year.

“I think he’s going to be a Hall of Famer,” Reinebold added. “He’s a guy that guys look too easy on, like some guys he looks like he’s stressed out and you get a sense of how hard they’re playing.

“He plays hard, but he’s very smooth and it looks like he’s not even working playing the game.

“The revelation about the Bucs is the ability to take Rachaad White and that young rookie running back Irving who is a handful, now you have a running game and you mix that with a great defense and the ability to throw to Mike Evans.

“They’re going to be a good team in the playoffs.”