It was widely understood that the Denver Broncos were not legitimate competition for the Buffalo Bills. Led by the cyborg known as Josh Allen, this year’s possible MVP winner, Buffalo is a seasoned fixture of postseason experience. It is a mainstay of the greater Super Bowl contender conversation.

Lamar Jackson vs. Josh Allen won’t decide the NFL MVP next week. The stakes are higher with a spot in the AFC championship game on the line. Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens (13-5) will visit Allen and the Buffalo Bills (14-4) in the divisional round while Patrick Mahomes and the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs (15-2) will host C.

In the cases of both MVP candidates, next week’s divisional round game is not only massive in the obvious sense, but for the prism in which they’re viewed.