The Ravens were on the verge of a big win, holding a slim lead (40-38) with just over a minute left. But John Harbaugh’s decision to punt on fourth-and-3 gave the Bills one last chance, and Josh Allen made it count, leading a game-winning drive capped by a field goal. The collapse raised fresh doubts about Baltimore’s late-game strategy and hurt Lamar Jackson’s MVP momentum. To make matters worse, one NFL legend had a harsh take on Harbaugh’s leadership.

During his appearance on the Up & Adams Show, NFL legend Cris Carter didn’t mince words, “Harbaugh has been absent on the sideline in the last four or five years because you can’t have that number of leads and be that good of a coach and punt and be like, hey, I’m happy with punting to our defense. Man, this is not Ed Reed. This is not my boy Ray Ray. They are just a shadow of themselves.” 

Carter slammed Harbaugh for relying on a fading defense in clutch moments, echoing fans’ frustration after yet another late-game collapse. During the game, with no timeouts, Allen led a 66-yard, nine-play drive capped by Matt Prater’s 32-yard field goal, sealing a stunning 41–40 win. The Bills erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit with 16 unanswered points. Harbaugh wasn’t shy about his own disappointment.

After the game, the head coach admitted to a tough night, acknowledging how the team had let yet another fourth-quarter lead slip through their fingers. “I do believe that we need to be really thoughtful of how we decide that we’re going to approach those situations going forward,” John Harbaugh said, underlining the growing trend of late-game collapses haunting the Ravens in recent seasons.

According to a September 8 report from The Athletic, John Harbaugh has a history of blowing big leads. He has blown 17 double-digit, second-half leads, the most by any coach since at least 1991. Still in the last game, Harbaugh stood by his decision to punt on fourth-and-3 from the Ravens’ 38-yard line, saying it was too risky to go for it. Especially since Lamar Jackson was cramping and couldn’t push for the conversion.

Adding to the drama, Lamar Jackson’s late-game absence due to cramping raised concerns, not just about his durability in clutch moments, but also about his standing in the MVP race.

Josh Allen Surges Past Lamar Jackson in MVP Race

On Sunday night, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson both put on impressive performances, but in the end, it was the Bills QB who stole the show. After leading the Buffalo Bills to that epic comeback win over the Ravens, Allen is now the clear front-runner in the MVP race, putting more pressure on the Ravens and their loyal fans.

Meanwhile, Allen’s stat line was nothing short of spectacular. He finished the night with 394 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, plus two rushing scores. In comparison, Jackson threw for 210 yards and two touchdowns, and also rushed for two scores. Thanks to that performance, Allen now sits at +350 MVP odds on DraftKings, overtaking Jackson, who was the preseason favorite but now trails at +475.

Of course, the MVP race doesn’t stop there. Bengals’ Joe Burrow follows at +750, while Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Commanders’ Jayden Daniels share +850 odds. Packers’ Jordan Love and Eagles’ Jalen Hurts come next at +1400, with Chargers’ Justin Herbert at +1500 and 49ers’ Brock Purdy at +2000. Meanwhile, the top non-QB candidate is Ravens’ own Derrick Henry, sitting way back at +7000. So, the battle is heating up more than ever.

Finally, it’s worth noting that Allen already took home the MVP last season, and Jackson had won it twice before, in 2023 and 2019. So what do you think, can Allen sustain his lead, will Jackson catch up, or will another player rise up? Share your thoughts with us.