There are plenty of reasons why Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson are compared. They came into the NFL in the same draft class, and have been two of the best quarterbacks in the league in their first seven seasons. In 2024, they will likely finish as the two highest vote getters for the NFL MVP Award.
But the two elite pass throwers have a lesser known connection: they started off their careers playing against one another.
Allen & Jackson Began Their NFL Careers Against Each Other
The first game on the schedule for the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens in 2018 was against one another. The starting quarterback matchup was between Nathan Peterman and Joe Flacco, and the Ravens were listed as 7.5-point hose underdogs. Baltimore made good on those odds, and opened up a 40-0 lead early in the third quarter.
With the game out of hand, both teams decided to insert their rookie quarterbacks into the lineup, albeit for different reasons. Peterman had a miserable performance, completing 5 of 18 passes and throwing two interceptions, and finishing with a quarterback rating of 0.0.
You might not know this but Lamar Jackson and Josh Allen took their first NFL Snaps against each other!
Here’s the full story…
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Josh Allen was second on the depth chart, and made his NFL debut during the third quarter. He was far from the player he is today, and completed just 6 of his 15 passes and was sacked three times. He did show off his rushing talent, though, finishing with 26 yards on 4 attempts.
The Ravens made a signal caller change, as well. In order to save their starter from any potential early season harm, Baltimore removed Flacco in the third quarter, just one drive after Allen made his debut. 32nd overall pick Lamar Jackson came in in relief, but didn’t do much with his arm during the final 24 minutes of action. He threw just four passes, but had 7 rushing attempts for 39 yards, the start of his record-breaking NFL career as a dual threat QB.
The Ravens won 47-3.
Sunday’s Divisional Round game between the Bills and Ravens will be played in Buffalo, and the road team is currently listed as a 1-point favorite.
