The Buffalo Bills had an amazing run in 2020.
They finished the regular season with a 13-3 record and won two playoff games.
The Bills fell short to the eventual AFC Champion Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game but not before defeating the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens in the wildcard and divisional rounds.
With so much positivity within the Bills organization for the first time in a generation, it is time to focus on their young quarterback Josh Allen.
Josh Allen's progression has been INSANE 🤯
Year 1: 2,074 YDS, 10 TD, 12 INT, 52.8 CMP%
Year 2: 3,089 YDS, 20 TD, 9 INT, 58.8 CMP%
Year 3: 4,544 YDS, 37 TD, 10 INT, 69.2 CMP%Future is bright in Buffalo #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/1wOBXGPSXe
— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) February 13, 2021
Those 2020 numbers earned him 4 MVP votes in the 2020 voting.
Aaron Rodgers named the NFL MVP by the Associated Press with 44 votes. Josh Allen comes in second with 4, Patrick Mahomes got 2 votes.
A big accomplishment for the #Bills QB after a huge third season in the NFL.
— Heather Prusak (@haprusak) February 7, 2021
Can he be the next NFL MVP in 2021?
Yes, he can, and here are three reasons why he can.
1. Quarterbacks Usually Win
While it is not always the case, quarterbacks tend to be the leading candidates for MVP.
Consider that quarterbacks have won the coveted title every year since 2013.
The next likely position to win it is running back.
Adrian Peterson won it in 2012 when he was the running back for the Minnesota Vikings.
This wasn’t always the case.
From 1991 through 2006, running backs won the award 8 times.
Some would argue those were the golden years of the running back position before the advent of running back by committee and free agency.
During that time Bills legend Thurman Thomas, Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Terrell Davis, Marshall Faulk, Shaun Alexander, and LaDanian Tomlinson won the award.
Marshall Faulk even won it back-to-back years in 2000 and 2001.
Fast forward to the 2010s and beyond and quarterbacks dominate.
Maybe this is the golden age of quarterbacks with Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers earning the honor.
Peyton Manning won the award five times.
Both Tom Brady and 2020 MVP Aaron Rodgers each won it three times.
Newcomers Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson have each won it one time so far.
All this means is Josh Allen can definitely win it.
2. Good Connection And Relationship With WR Stefon Diggs
Stefon Diggs on Josh Allen:
"I would go to war for him each and every day. … You trust a guy that's got your back, and he never once, he didn't turn his back on me, he didn't say anything slick. He's got my back right or wrong." pic.twitter.com/RefQPft3ds
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 4, 2021
Allen, 24, is finishing his third NFL season.
In 2020, he threw for over 4,500 yards.
In addition to that, he had amazing accuracy with 37 TD passes and only 10 INTs during the regular season.
He added 5 TDs in his three playoff games in 2020.
WR Stefon Diggs joined the Bills in 2020 after playing for Minnesota for five seasons.
His yardage accounts for about 1/3 of Allen’s total passing yards.
Diggs had 1,535 receiving yards and 8 TDs.
He also caught 2 of Allen’s 5 TDs in the playoffs.
The fact that Allen and Diggs developed such quick chemistry in 2020 when the pandemic affected preparation means that the sky is the limit for both of them in a more normal (hopefully) post-pandemic preseason of 2021.
3. MVP Usually Comes From Playoff Contender
The most valuable player tends to come from a playoff contender.
Looking at the names listed above is an indication that to be MVP the team has to be playing well, and the MVP is usually a big reason for that.
There is no reason to believe the Bills will not be a playoff contender in 2021 and beyond.
The fact that the Bills stock is rising and Josh Allen is also a young quarterback who is getting better each season helps his cause also.
Whether Josh Allen wins NFL MVP in 2021 or not, he will be around for years to come and will have multiple opportunities to win the award.
NEXT: 3 Free Agents The Buffalo Bills Should Sign In 2021