Josh Allen climbs NFL MVP rankings without even playing a game

Josh Allen, the Buffalo Bills quarterback, has moved to the top of the NFL MVP rankings despite not playing a game last week. The quarterback's stock rose two spots to No. 1 in NFL.com's latest MVP rankings, surpassing San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. This came as the Bills enjoyed a bye week in Week 7.

Allen's surge to the top spot was not due to his recent performance but rather his consistent excellence throughout the first six games of the season. He has led the league with 17 touchdowns, guiding Buffalo to a 5-1 record. His passing accuracy is impressive, with a completion rate of 66.7% for 1,504 yards, nine touchdowns, and four interceptions. Additionally, Allen adds 240 rushing yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

Analyzing Allen's impact beyond traditional statistics, NFL.com's analysis shows he ranks first among quarterbacks in expected points added per dropback and average yards per pass attempt. He also ranks second in the success rate of his plays, which measures their contribution to the team's scoring outlook. The most striking statistic is Allen's 229.1% win probability added, over 111 percentage points ahead of the next closest quarterback.

Allen's Buffalo Bills are leading the NFL in scoring at 32.8 points per game, despite having a defense that ranks 30th in the league in allowing 28.5 points per game. The top five in the NFL.com MVP rankings entering Week 8 includes Allen, Brock Purdy, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Kenneth Walker III, and Trevor Lawrence.