(670 The Score) The NFL MVP race proved to be as close as anticipated, with a two-way battle playing out between Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Allen prevailed 383-362 over Jackson in a close voting process. Allen received 27 first-place votes, 22 second-place votes and one third-place vote. Jackson received 23 first-place votes, 26 second-place votes and one fourth-place vote, which came from former Bears quarterback Jim Miller, who’s currently SiriusXM radio host.
While Miller’s fourth-place vote didn’t decide the MVP award, it certainly stood out. On Saturday, Miller joined the Steve Rosenbloom Show on 670 The Score and explained the logic behind his voting process. He voted Allen first, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley second, Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow third, Jackson fourth and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes fifth.
“I’ve come under a lot of backlash, and I don’t know why,” Miller said. “I’ve had threats against my family, people calling me a racist, which is beyond the pale. They sit there behind their desks and social media and tweet out this nonsense, but that’s OK.
“Lamar Jackson had a historic year. He’s done things at the quarterback position this past year that no other quarterback has done, so I rightfully voted him to be Offensive Player of the Year. Because he’s a unicorn. He’s a unicorn. OK, he’s the first one to do it. Saquon Barkley, who I respect greatly, he has really carried the Philadelphia Eagles. But there are eight other unicorns to rush for 2,000. And now we have extra games that allow you to rush for 2,000. Shoot, O.J. Simpson rushed for 2,000 with only 14 games. So, (Barkley) is not a unicorn – he's a great player that carried his team. And he is the MVP of his team.
“I placed Josh Allen one for MVP. I placed Saquon Barkley two for MVP, because he carried the team. I placed Joe Burrow three as MVP because they’re the most valuable players on their team. Fourth, I put Lamar. Correctly, he was placed Offensive Player of the Year, because he’s a unicorn. People think MVP is the most talented player in the league. That’s not what MVP is. It’s what you are to your team.
“I put Patrick Mahomes fifth in my MVP vote, and I should’ve put him one. And here’s why. Because he’s 15-2 and football is the ultimate team sport, and the only stat that matters is winning. And he also is historical because he won 17 one-score games and he is directly responsible for it. And I could’ve slept very good and laid my head on the pillow at night placing Patrick Mahomes No. 1 for MVP in the league because nobody has done what he’s done as well.
“People think it’s the best player in the league. It’s not. It’s how they’re most valuable to their team. And that’s how I viewed it.”
Allen threw for 3,731 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while adding 531 rushing yards and 12 scores on the ground. He led the Bills to a 13-4 record and the AFC East crown. This marked Allen's first MVP award.
Jackson threw for 4,172 yards and 41 touchdowns while adding 915 rushing yards and four scores on the ground. He led the Ravens to a 12-5 season and the AFC North title.
The Bills earned a 27-25 win over the Ravens in the AFC’s divisional round, though that result was irrelevant to the voting process as ballots are turned in prior to the playoffs starting.