Did Josh Allen’s performance vs. Miami put him back in the MVP race?

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It’s Week 16 of the 2022 NFL season, and we want to know how you’re feeling, Bills Mafia! Every week of the season, we’ll ask fans if they’re confident the team is headed in the right direction — and more of the most pressing questions facing the coming game. Let us know what you think!

Quarterback Josh Allen has been on a tear during the team’s current five-game win streak. Allen has completed 105-of-169 passes (62%) for 1,124 yards with 10 touchdowns and only one interception, while adding 41 rushing attempts for 229 yards (5.6 ypc) with two rushing scores in that span. While he has lost four fumbles during the five-game span, he’s cut down his turnover rate tremendously since the middle of the season.

What Allen did against the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night was nothing short of spectacular. His play reminded many people of the superhuman player he becomes during a game’s biggest moments — and brought back vibes of his 2021 postseason tear.

The great news is that it appears Allen is moving past the elbow injury that certainly had to bother him earlier this season. The trick now is to continue ascending toward the goal of the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture, and earning a bye and home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Allen’s performances during the five-game win streak are largely responsible for those victories, but have they been enough to turn the opinions of those who vote on the league’s MVP?

Certainly Week 15 carried that idea back to the forefront, both due to Allen’s performance and the injury to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts. It appears Hurts has avoided what was initially thought to be a long-term shoulder injury, but he could still miss time on the field — if even just one week. Many believe that the award is Hurts’ to lose, and should the Eagles stumble without him, it could only serve to cement him as the 2022 MVP.

But the conversation doesn’t with Allen and Hurts. It may actuallly begin with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. There’s also Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow to consider. Let’s peruse the stats of these four quarterbacks through Week 15.

Stats courtesy of Pro Football Reference and Stathead Football.

The numbers prove very interesting, if we’re just going by the numbers. Doing so doesn’t bode well for Allen’s chances to win the 2022 MVP, with both the least amount of “green” and highest amount of “red” categories through 15 weeks. Mahomes passes the numbers test with the most total “green” and least total “red” categories through 15 weeks. Additionally, Mahomes boasts the most total touchdowns, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, passing yards, and the highest passer rating.

Given all of that, one might gather that the MVP is all but locked up, right? Well, voting for the NFL’s annual MVP isn’t just about stats — at least it shouldn’t be — and hopefully isn’t decided by these numbers alone. If so, it’s neglecting one very important facet for each player: How important are they to the team’s success? If you took player “X” or “Y” off their respective teams, would the season play out drastically different?

When considering that question, does it change things compared to just looking at stats? Does Allen find a better chance at winning the award in this scenario, or are all four quarterbacks too important to their teams to upset the apple cart of votes?

So, tell us by voting below:

• How confident are you in the direction of the Bills?
• Did Josh Allen’s performance against Miami put him back in the MVP race?