2. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
We're now truly getting into the best of the best at QB this season. Lamar Jackson is yet again having another MVP-caliber season, and he could be in line to win his second MVP award in a row and third overall. The debate between him and Josh Allen is quite interesting. The Bills are 10-3, but the Baltimore Ravens are 8-5.
However, when you watch the games, you'll see that the Ravens defense is just bad and the main reason for this team only having eight wins through their first 13 games. If Baltimore did have the same record as the Bills, I bet we'd be unquestionably talking about Jackson as being the favorite for the MVP.
He's having the best passing season of his career and is again a top-tier threat with his legs. Objectively speaking, Lamar Jackson has been no worse than a top-3 QB in the NFL this year. Jackson comes in at the no. 2 spot in our QB power rankings.
1. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow is playing out of his mind, but he's in a similar but more aggressive situation that Lamar Jackson is in with the Ravens. The Cincinnati Bengals have just five wins through their first 13 games, and while Burrow is having the best year of their career, it's been the defense that has let them down.
It's truly been Trey Hendrickson carrying what he can and then everyone else. People keep trying to say that the Bengals are better than their record indicates, but I have no idea how you arrive at that conclusion. I mean, this team is 13 games into their season and have five wins. How are they any different than their record indicates?
The 2024 Cincinnati Bengals feel like those 2014-2016 New Orleans Saints teams who had an excellent offense with Drew Brees and Sean Payton but the worst defenses in the NFL. They went 7-9 in each of those seasons before figuring their defense out beginning in 2017.
The Bengals will need to hammer-out some defensive players in the 2025 NFL Draft and be very aggressive in free agency in fixing that unit. Burrow would easily be the MVP-favorite in 2024 if the Bengals record was flipped. He's been that good this year.