The Buffalo Bills Are a Problem, and Josh Allen Has Made NFL MVP a 3-Man Race

Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes have company. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen's historic performance this season now has the third-year veteran firmly in the conversation because of his development into a complete signal-caller. 

From a historical perspective, the Bills clinched their first AFC East crown since 1995 with Saturday's 48-19 victory over the Denver Broncos.

In doing so, Allen provided four total touchdowns. With his two scoring passes, he became only the second Bills quarterback, along with Jim Kelly, to throw for 30 TDs in a single season. Allen's two rushing touchdowns tied the 24-year-old with another Bills all-time great, Jack Kemp, for the franchise record of 25. He already set the franchise single-season record last week with 35 total touchdowns—which now stands at 39. He became the second Bills quarterback ever alongside Drew Bledsoe to eclipse 4,000 passing yards. 

The 2018 seventh overall draft pick is exceeding all expectations, even for those who believed he had the ability to develop into a franchise quarterback despite inconsistencies at Wyoming. 

An innate ability to create and always place their respective teams in a position to succeed separates the three MVP candidates from everyone else. Allen's latest performance showed exactly why he and the Bills offense are so dangerous. 

James P. McCoy/Associated Press

Everything anyone needed to see to define who Allen is as a player could be seen during Saturday's first half, and it exemplified exactly why he's blossomed into an elite playmaker under center. 

For two seasons, the much-maligned uber-talent struggled with inconsistency. At times, his talent shone as bright as the North Star. Other times, his decision-making and pass attempts caused many to chuckle and ridicule his play. 

A common problem in today's game is not providing a young quarterback with a proper foundation to flourish. Owners, coaches and fans are too fickle and lack the patience often necessary to nurture a talented prospect and see him become a fully realized NFL quarterback. 

Buffalo proved to be the perfect fit for Allen. Before he could succeed, his coaches had to help.

"I know this kid is a player. We just have to put him in a position for success," offensive coordinator Brian Daboll told Fox Sports analyst Mark Schlereth about building up his star signal-caller. 

Those natural flashes gave way to more consistent and quality quarterback performances without hamstringing Allen's playmaking ability. 

Each of his three first-half touchdowns provided glimpses of Allen's full repertoire.

Initially, tight end Dawson Knox snagged what many might see as a simple nine-yard touchdown pass from Allen, but the play was far more difficult than he made it look. 

Watch again, because the play had a screen designed to the backside after Allen rolled to his right. 

When the quarterback whipped his head around to check the running back's availability, he noticed Denver defenders swarming. Allen immediately snapped back to the play's front side, pumped toward a receiver that wasn't open and extended the play until Knox came free in the end zone. 

Allen made something happen even though the defense handled the initial play design. Allen is the reason it turned into what looked likely a relatively easy score. 

The quarterback's second touchdown is what makes him so difficult to defend. He's an elite runner when defenses don't key in on him in the pocket. 

Again, recognition plays a factor. Allen climbed the pocket to avoid pressure and saw defensive backs with their backs turned toward him and a pair of two-high safeties near the goal line. It's an easy decision at that point. He took off with only one defender to beat, but tight end Reggie Gilliam took care of him with a fantastic downfield block. 

Think about the following statistic for a moment: Allen has more rushing touchdowns over the last three seasons than the Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott currently holds the league's most lucrative contract (in total value) among running backs. 

Sure, Lamar Jackson is faster, and Russell Wilson is much tougher to corral in space. Yet, Allen's athleticism and size (6'5", 237 pounds) make him nearly impossible to bring down, especially when he breaks into the open field. 

As Los Angeles Chargers defensive end Joey Bosa told Allen's teammates after tackling him during a Week 12 contest, "He's f--king huge. What am I supposed to do?" 

Allen's understanding of the game continues to improve compared to the last two seasons. Three years under the same head coach and offensive coordinator matter. The opportunity to play in the same system with a cohesive philosophy for that amount of time is a luxury a lot of young quarterbacks don't experience. 

In Allen's case, he continues to grow leaps and bounds working with Daboll, who is now one of the league's top head coaching candidates. 

Buffalo's final first-half touchdown provided an excellent example of where Allen currently stands. Everyone already knew he could make plays outside of the pocket as a passer and runner. But he needed more consistency from inside the pocket, which he delivered week in and week out this season.

Allen has completed at least 68 percent of his passes in nine of 14 games played so far. Considering his 58.8 completion percentage ranked dead last among qualifying quarterbacks a year ago, a drastic boost in performance occurred this season because Allen is seeing the field at a very high level. 

His 22-yard, second-quarter connection with Jake Kumerow showed exactly how well. 

The quarterback saw he had a soft Cover 2 shell with trips to his left. The safety cheated a couple of steps toward Stefon Diggs, who worked outside the numbers. But the best part isn't Allen's pre-snap recognition relative to the called play. His post-snap eye manipulation showed next-level quarterback ability. 

In this particular case, watch the end-zone view provided by the NFL's Twitter account. Allen knew he had Kumerow bending the seam between the split safeties. By initially looking to his right, the young signal-caller held the safety long enough to keep the middle of the end zone open before delivering a dart. 

Pre- and post-snap recognition while correctly and consistently making the right read from the pocket is what separates good quarterbacks from the league's best. Allen is now counted among the best of the best. 

Two more factors should be taken into consideration with the Bills' third touchdown of the evening.

Twelve different receivers have caught a touchdown from Allen this season. The quarterback is distributing the ball like a point guard on grass. Second, Buffalo overcame three red-zone penalties, including a touchdown called back, before Allen still delivered his scoring connection to Kumerow. With Allen behind center, the Bills offense can strike at any time. 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

Therein lies the difference with where Buffalo currently stands and why Allen can be considered on the same plane of existence with Rodgers and Mahomes. Opponents can do everything right and place those quarterbacks in a position where they shouldn't succeed, yet they still do. 

Statistically, Allen is right in line with the previous favorites for the game's most coveted individual hardware. His 4,000 passing yards rank second behind Mahomes before Sunday's slate starts. His 39 total touchdowns are currently four behind Rodgers. 

We've grown to expect these things from Mahomes and Rodgers. Now, everyone can say the same about the Bills and Allen. The mere fact that's the case says everything that needs to be said for his MVP case. 

Brent Sobleski covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @brentsobleski.