Josh Allen didn’t take a snap in Week 7, and it still worked out for him.
The Bills quarterback climbed to No. 1 in NFL.com’s latest MVP rankings, moving up two spots even while Buffalo sat on its bye. The update, released Tuesday by NFL.com senior writer Kevin Patra, pushed Allen past San Francisco’s Brock Purdy, who slipped to second after the 49ers’ first loss of the season, a 29-20 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons.
Allen’s case is built on more than just the leaderboard bump. Through six games, he’s already piled up a league-best 17 touchdowns and helped Buffalo to a 5-1 record. He has completed 66.7% of his passes for 1,504 yards, with nine passing touchdowns and four interceptions, while also adding 240 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns.
The advanced numbers make the argument even louder. According to NFL.com’s breakdown, Allen leads NFL quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback at 0.29, and he also tops the group with 8.8 yards per pass attempt. His 51.7% success rate ranks second, a measure of how often a quarterback’s plays actually improve a team’s scoring outlook.
The biggest number might be the one tied directly to winning. Allen’s 229.1% win probability added leads all quarterbacks by more than 111 percentage points, a staggering gap in a metric that tracks how much a player’s individual plays swing a team’s chances based on game situation.
Buffalo’s offense has been carrying plenty of the load, too. The Bills lead the NFL at 32.8 points per game, and that production has gone a long way toward balancing out a defense that has allowed 28.5 points per game, which ranks 30th in the league.
Purdy entered Week 7 on top after leading San Francisco to six straight wins to open the season, but his standing took a hit after the Falcons game. He finished 27 of 40 for 288 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.
The rest of NFL.com’s top five entering Week 8 features a couple of new faces and movement in the middle. Jaxon Smith-Njigba jumped into third after catching nine passes for 150 yards and a touchdown against Kansas City. Kenneth Walker III, listed by NFL.com as a Kansas City Chiefs player, dropped two spots to fourth, while Trevor Lawrence fell one spot to fifth.
NFL.com also noted that Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams could soon break into the top five.
Allen, who won his first NFL MVP award for the 2024 season, is now trying to become the 12th player in league history to win the award more than once.
In Other News...
Bills Secondary Suddenly Has A Maxwell Hairston Problem To Solve
Maxwell Hairstons place in the Bills secondary has shifted quickly, and not in the way Buffalo wanted from a second-year cornerback expected to take a step forward. After he gave up two touchdowns in a game, Hairston lost his starting job to rookie Davison Igbinosun, and his playing time has dropped off sharply since then, putting a little more pressure on a unit that has been one of the teams defining strengths.
TreDavious White is back in the building on the practice squad and already sounds like someone intent on helping the young corner regain his footing. White has spoken up in support of Hairston and made it clear he wants to be part of the fix, which matters for a Bills defense that can ill afford uncertainty at cornerback if Hairston is going to work his way back into a larger role. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Trade Buzz Keeps Coming Back To One Defensive Need
As the AFC leaders head into Week 8, the trade chatter around Buffalo keeps circling back to the same area of need on defense. The Bills have been mentioned among the teams that could look for help before the deadline, and the fit being floated from Arizona is a familiar one for a roster trying to sharpen itself for the stretch run.
Budda Baker is the name that keeps surfacing in that conversation, which makes sense given the value of a proven safety on a contender. With the speculation centered on teams trying to solve issues before they become bigger problems, Buffalos interest in secondary help is part of a broader market that could get active quickly if the right player becomes available. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Still Have One Big Availability Concern Coming Out Of The Bye
The Bills came out of their bye week and back onto the practice field with the usual midseason injury watch list, but one absence stood out more than the rest. Several players were either limited or held out as Buffalo began preparing for the next stretch, including Spencer Brown, who was still sidelined with a back issue.
Browns status matters because Buffalo is trying to get its footing again while also peeking ahead to a tough matchup with Baltimore. The Ravens had their own encouraging update when Lamar Jackson returned to practice after a high ankle sprain and is expected to play, which only adds to the importance of the Bills getting healthier at a time when the roster is still sorting through who can actually handle a full workload. [Read more 🡒]