Thursday is MVP! The race is on again! At the moment when Lamar Jackson seemed to be breaking away, Josh Allen decided to enforce his rank in a very authoritarian manner against the Chiefs of a still disappointing Patrick Mahomes. Jared Goff is not to be outdone and took advantage of a clash against the Jaguars to boost his statistics.
Behind, Kyler Murray on rest retains his fourth place but sees a decidedly unstoppable Saquon Barkley coming back at him like a bullet since he put on the Eagles uniform.
Star of the week: Josh Allen (QB), Bills
Josh Allen is a bit of the type of player who oscillates between genius and fatal error, often judged by his latest performances. However, those who reduce him to his missteps too quickly forget that, since his tumultuous start to his career, the Buffalo Bills quarterback has become a real machine for big moments. Far from being perfect, he is one of the few who can change the course of a match in a flash. And against the Kansas City Chiefs, he once again proved that he belongs among the elite.
With 262 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, Allen led his team to a decisive victory, capped by a 26-yard rushing touchdown that gave the Bills a 30-21 lead, thus inflicting the first defeat of the season on the reigning champions. This kind of performance not only bury the doubts, it marks a crucial point in his quest for the MVP. If we still expect him to shine in the playoffs, this victory against the Chiefs places him a little more among the very greats.
Allen's real challenge therefore remains post-seasonwhere he has not yet dominated Kansas City in major meetings. But with this victory in week 11, he sent a strong message: he is more than ever in the race for the MVP title. And when it catches fire, everyone must bow.
The revelation of the week: Bo Nix (QB), Broncos
Bo Nix is resurrecting the Denver Broncos franchise, and his latest performance against the Falcons is the perfect illustration of that. With 307 yards, four touchdowns and a pass completion rate of 84.4%, the rookie scored a crushing 38-6 victory. In addition to these impressive numbers, Nix posted a 145.0 rating, a feat reserved for very few rookies in NFL history. He joins CJ Stroud in this very exclusive club, and it is clear that he does not just fulfill his role: he redefines it.
His impact is already such that we are starting to talk about him for the title of Offensive Rookie of the Year. But some, like his teammate Patrick Surtain, go even further, even mentioning a possible MVP for the young quarterback. A bold and of course premature statement, but which perfectly reflects the meteoric rise of Nix, who has already recorded six victories to his name, thus beating the record held by John Elway for a Broncos rookie.
In Denver, we finally seem to have found Peyton Manning's successor, after years of uncertainty at the quarterback position. Nix is not only a promising rookie, he is becoming a leader, and this victory against the Falcons is just the first step in a future that looks bright for the Broncos.
Disappointment of the week: Patrick Mahomes (QB), Chiefs
Patrick Mahomes showed a very pale face during the Kansas City Chiefs' defeat against the Buffalo Bills (30-21), their first of the season. Where it is supposed to be irresistible, the scale of the failure was striking. His ability to extend plays and seize opportunities has been completely absent. The Bills defense locked down Mahomes perfectly, forcing him to stay in the pocket and disrupting his accuracy in disconcerting ways. Result: a match far from the standards we expect.
The statistics are clear: 6 interceptions in the last three matches, including one in the first drive against Buffalo. His targets, like Travis Kelce, JuJu Smith-Schuster or DeAndre Hopkins, barely weighed in the game, accumulating 6 receptions for 45 yards – a pittance. The Chiefs' star receivers, expected to be major assets, were deceived, and Mahomes seemed lost under pressure, hesitating in the pocket instead of exploiting the opportunities that presented themselves. A worrying lack of responsiveness for a player of his caliber.
The problem isn't that he was pressured by the Bills defense, it was a given that he would be. On the other hand, he was unable to adapt to it. His hesitations in the pocket transformed even favorable situations into resounding failures. Besides that, the Chiefs offensive line, still fragile, did not make things easy. But where Mahomes has always shined is in his ability to escape pressure to pull off a stroke of genius. However, this Sunday, he was unable to react.
So where has the Patrick Mahomes we knew gone? This player on whom all forms of adversity seemed to flow tirelessly has not appeared all season. No one worried until then, certain that the real Mahomes was going to gain strength. But the last third of the regular season is here and Patrick Mahomes remains as average as ever.
The ranking: The top trio in a pocket handkerchief
1- Lamar Jackson (-) Quarterback – Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
11 games – 2876 yards at 67% completions – 25 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 117.3 rating
2- Josh Allen (-) Quarterback – Buffalo Bills (9-2)
11 games – 2,543 yards at 64% completions – 18 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 98.2 rating
3- Jared Goff (-) Quarterback – Detroit Lions (9-1)
10 games – 2492 yards at 73% completions – 20 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 112.1 rating
4- Kyler Murray (-) Quarterback – Arizona Cardinals (6-4)
10 games – 2058 yards at 69.2% completions – 12 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, 100.8 rating
5- Saquon Barkley (+1) Running Back – Philadelphia Eagles (8-2)
10 games – 1137 yards at 5.8 yards per carry, 8 touchdowns – 210 yards at 9.1 yards per reception, 2 touchdowns
