Another Battle in the Josh Allen & Patrick Mahomes War
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images)
Sunday night was another amazing battle between two career long rivals. This episode of Mahomes vs. Allen did not have the fireworks downfield that we are used to seeing. However, when their teams needed it, they showed up.
The Bills ended up winning the game 30-21 after a Josh Allen rushing touchdown, followed by a Patrick Mahomes interception, courtesy of Terrel Bernard. Through the air, Josh Allen went 27/40 for 262 yards and a touchdown. He threw one interception on what seemed to be a miscommunication with Dawson Knox. On the ground, Allen ran the ball 12 times for 55 yards and a touchdown. No runs were more important than the touchdown run that Allen had late in the game on 4th down.
The Chiefs’ defense was giving up little to nothing on the ground. It felt like every rushing attempt between the tackles for the Bills was stopped at the line of scrimmage. This was one of the games where Josh Allen had to put on the superhero cape and do it himself.
Patrick Mahomes was not as effective as his QB counterpart. He threw for 196 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. Outside of 2 solid drives, the Chiefs didn’t offer much in terms of offense.
While Patrick Mahomes has had his worst year in the NFL this season, his team was still undefeated heading into Sunday’s tilt. On top of that, the Bills were dealing with a plethora of injuries. TE Dalton Kincaid, OT Spencer Brown, WR Keon Coleman, and LB Matt Milano all missed the game due to injury, making the Bills’ win even more impressive.
Josh Allen willed his team to an improbably victory to bring the Chiefs’ undefeated season to a screeching halt. Not only that, but he has vaulted himself to the top of the MVP conversation. This Bills’ roster, on paper, is probably the least talented roster in the Josh Allen era since his rookie season, yet he has led them to a 9-2 record. In 2023, the Bills did not win their 9th game until after Christmas. This is a huge confidence boost for the Bills heading into the bye. They are amid a tough stretch of games that includes the Chiefs, 49ers, Rams, and Lions. Many Bills fans would probably be happy with a 2-2 record in that stretch, but it looks like they can strive for more.
For the Chiefs, this game does not mean a whole lot. As long as they take care of business the rest of the way, they are still in a great position to win their 3rd consecutive Super Bowl. The Chiefs will be the first to tell you that all they care about is taking care of business in January and February. Mahomes still has plenty of time to get back to MVP form, on top of the fact that he has more time to gel with WR Deandre Hopkins. Their defense is one of the best in the NFL; it had actually been years since the Chiefs allowed 30 points in a game before Sunday night.
With all that being said, if the Bills continue on this heater and the Chiefs stumble at all, there will be a new top seed in the AFC. The Bills are only a half game back (likely a full game after the Chiefs beat the Panthers next week) and own the tiebreaker.
With only one team getting a bye per conference, I expect both teams to do everything they can to earn that ever important top spot.
