Josh Allen Had Extremely High Praise for Lamar Jackson Ahead of Bills-Ravens Clash

The two MVP-winning quarterbacks will face each other to begin the 2025 season.

Josh Allen praised Lamar Jackson before the Bills-Ravens matchup on Sunday. / Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

All eyes will be on Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson when the Bills face the Ravens to kick off Sunday Night Football for the 2025 NFL season.

The game is a playoff rematch after the Ravens heartbreakingly fell to the Bills in the divisional round last January. Perhaps more importantly, it features the top two quarterbacks from a season ago, and the two most recent league MVPs, as Allen faces Jackson after narrowly winning the 2024 NFL MVP over him. The Two great quarterbacks are still seeking their first Super Bowl appearances and AFC championship titles.

It's only the first game of the season for each team, but with these two quarterbacks on the field, there are already plenty of storylines and a lot at stake. Ahead of the much-anticipated primetime showdown, Allen was complimentary of the Ravens, and especially what Jackson brings to the game.

"Then you've got Lamar Jackson, who's one of the greatest quarterbacks—really, we can already say it—of all time," Allen said on the Like a Farmer podcast. "He's an absolute stud. He's freakishly talented. He throws the ball just as good as anybody in the league. He's a fun player and I've got a lot of respect for him."

While Allen will not directly line up against Jackson, he's well aware of the added pressure that facing Jackson puts on him and the offense. "You can’t give him more opportunities than he needs," Allen told reporters Wednesday. "You can’t give him short fields. He'll take advantage of those."

The Bills might have come out on top, but when the Ravens and Bills faced off last January, Jackson and the Ravens' offense had their way for most of the game. They out-gained the Bills in passing, rushing and total yards, and did not punt during the loss. Their downfall was three turnovers and a drop on a potential game-tying two-point conversion by tight end Mark Andrews.

Baltimore should be capable of driving up and down the field on Buffalo once again on Sunday. With Jackson, the Ravens' potent offense and a desire for vengeance after that playoff loss, the pressure will be on Allen to keep up and minimize mistakes.

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