“Friend or Foe?” Well, Lamar Jackson definitely ruled out one of these when he talked about the Bills‘ quarterback Josh Allen. This comes before their highly anticipated clash on Monday. We’ll finally get to know who will be the frontrunner for the MVP. As the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Buffalo Bills gets closer, we’re seeing all sorts of reactions to Lamar’s comments. Everyone has their predictions but Shawne Merriman said something that made Kay Adams take a sip of Champagne.

In an interview with Kay Adams, the three-time Pro Bowler famously nicknamed “Lights Out,” had his say. “I think this is the year that the Bills got a shot to go all the way,” Merriman said, backing Josh Allen to deliver on his MVP-level season. Merriman pointed to Allen’s “ridiculous” performances this year and Buffalo’s postseason experience as reasons why they have the upper hand. The Bills crushed the Broncos 31-7 in the wild-card round. Also, Allen completed 20-of-26 passes for 272 yards and 2 touchdowns, adding 46 yards on the ground. These stats are enough to say why Merriman counts them as favorites.

But the Super Bowl and Bills do not make for a good love story at all. Especially with their “Wide Right Curse”. This started in the 90s when they reached the Super Bowl 4 times in a row and yet failed to win one. It was Super Bowl XXV when kicker Scott Norwood’s 47-yard field goal attempt went wide right with just seconds left on the clock. They lost to the New York Giants by the barest of margins, 19-20. Since then, they haven’t reached the Super Bowl once.

Lamar Jackson’s not in a friendly mood

“They’ve been there before,” Merriman said, referring to Buffalo’s playoff experience. It’s a valid point. In recent years, the Bills are battle-tested in high-stakes games with Allen at the helm. This could give them an edge against a Ravens team still building its postseason resume. Historically as well, the Bills have a couple more Super Bowl appearances than the Ravens. He also stated that both of QBs can hurt you differently. All of this conversation started with Jackson’s statement on Allen.

Lamar Jackson has made it clear: he’s not in the business of making friends with his competition. Speaking about his relationship with Josh Allen, Jackson shared, “I don’t really chill with people in the offseason, especially not other quarterbacks.” That’s Jackson for you. He believes that while there’s mutual respect between him and Allen, their focus remains on outperforming each other on the field, not forming friendships off it.

Then there’s the legacy factor. Both teams have been knocking on the Super Bowl door for years but have struggled to cross the threshold. A win here could be the breakthrough moment they’ve been waiting for. Notably, the overall record stands at 5-7 against the Bills. In their most recent matchup, the Ravens beat them convincingly 35-10 in the regular season. This time, they have the advantage of playing at home in icy cold weather.

So the obvious question is, can the Bills validate Merriman’s faith and take another step toward ending their championship drought? Or will Jackson’s relentless drive and Baltimore’s defensive strength lead the Ravens to victory? No matter what happens, fans are in for an unforgettable showdown.