The premier quarterback rivalry of the new era will write a new chapter this weekend as the Chiefs look to continue their undefeated season on the road with a trip to Buffalo. Including the playoffs, this will be the eighth game between Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen since the start of the 2020 season.
There is a clear trend between these teams when they play. The Bills own the Chiefs in the regular season with a 3-1 record in Allen vs. Mahomes Matchups – However, the Chiefs are 3-0 against the Bills in the postseason. The frequency of games between these two teams, combined with the fact that there are two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in their prime, has built a legitimate rivalry.
The stakes are always high when the Chiefs play the Bills and will remain so for the upcoming game on Sunday. Kansas City has battled their way to a 9-0 record, while the Bills hold a commanding lead over the AFC East with an 8-2 mark. If the Bills can pull this off, they have a chance to become No. 1 in the AFC and skip the first round of the playoffs. These are two of the deep-pocketed titans in the NFL, and this game will be a good benchmark for learning what each of them is capable of in the postseason.
Both offenses are among the best in the league and they both play against good, if somewhat incomplete, defenses. The Chiefs have drawn concern and criticism for their lack of explosive offensive play, but on a down-to-down basis this is still one of the best offenses in the league. According to TruMedia, the Chiefs rank fifth in success rate and second in dropback success rate. Their 2.39 points per drive is good for eighth in the league and they convert over 50% of their third down attempts. They’ve shifted gears and are now more of a dink-and-dunk offense, but they’re still good.
The Bills aren’t really broadcasting it this year either, but they have been able to push the ball downfield more than the Chiefs. In a world where Lamar Jackson didn’t have one of the best seasons ever, Josh Allen would be the MVP favorite. He was incredible again while carrying an Atlas-level workload for the offense that featured a host of young wide receivers. Both offenses are consistently more efficient than the defenses they face, which could lead to fireworks.
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How each defense performs against the elite quarterback on the other side of the field will be a crucial data point. The Bills’ two losses this season have come courtesy of Lamar Jackson and CJ Stroud. Kansas City is undefeated, but good offenses like the Falcons and Buccaneers moved the ball their way.
Allen said this week that he’s more concerned about overcoming the Chiefs’ hurdle in the playoffs than the regular season, which makes sense considering three of his five playoff exits have come at the hands of Mahomes and Kansas City . This team is capable of conquering that mountain, but they still have to do it when it comes to the time crunch. Sunday is the Bills’ biggest litmus test of the season against their biggest rival, and it will allow them to know where they stand in their quest to finally reach the Super Bowl in the Josh Allen era.
Game, set, match. This is what we are looking at in this competition.