Josh Allen Vs. Patrick Mahomes: A Look Back At Their Legendary Chiefs-bills Showdowns

The astir compelling backmost rivalry we've seen since nan days of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning is group to constitute a caller section this weekend, arsenic Patrick Mahomes and nan 5-3 Chiefs will caput to Buffalo connected Sunday day to return connected Josh Allen and nan 5-2 Bills.

Since their first gathering successful 2020, nan 2 perennial All-Pros person traded blows 5 times during nan regular play and 4 times during nan postseason—making Sunday's title from Highmark Stadium nan 10th clip nan 2 sub-30-year-old awesome callers will look 1 another.

"To beryllium that size and to beryllium capable to move for illustration that, he's done truthful galore awesome things arsenic acold arsenic throwing nan football," Mahomes said of his rival Allen connected Wednesday. " ... The measurement he's capable to widen plays and beryllium adjacent to nan sideline and make these big-time throws down nan field, that worldly is special. He's gotten amended and amended each and each year. I deliberation that's thing that I've seen successful him and thing I effort to do for myself arsenic well. He's a awesome shot player."

"Anytime you're playing against a bully squad and a bully quarterback, you person to play astatine nan apical of your crippled successful bid to triumph a shot game," Allen said erstwhile asked this week astir having different opportunity to spell against Mahomes. "Not that you don't spell retired location and effort to play your champion each nan time, [but] location is simply a heightened consciousness of consciousness to that of knowing who's connected nan different broadside of nan football. But yeah, you wanna spell retired location and our extremity is to effort to people connected each thrust and that's what we effort to do."

Prior to kickoff, Sports Illustrated took a look astatine really Mahomes and Allen stacked up against each different statistically, on pinch a game-by-game breakdown of their matchups frankincense far:

Mahomes and Allen are group to look disconnected for nan 10th clip successful their careers. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Regular Season

The Bills person undoubtedly had nan precocious manus complete nan Chiefs during their 5 aforementioned regular-season contests pinch Allen and Mahomes astatine nan helm. After Kansas City took attraction of business successful their first matchup backmost successful October of 2020, Buffalo has gone an awesome 4-0 since.

Additionally, Allen has gotten nan amended of Mahomes statistically crossed these 5 regular-season meetings. He's 4-1 overall, has matched Mahomes successful passing touchdowns while throwing 4 less interceptions, and owns a higher passer rating. Additionally, Allen has outpaced Mahomes connected nan ground, totaling much rushing yards and 3 rushing touchdowns to Mahomes' zero. Here's a side-by-side look:

Playoffs

When nan playoffs travel around, however, Mahomes and nan Chiefs move into a different beast. Over their 4 postseason contests, Kansas City is an undeniable 4-0—two of which came successful nan AFC Championship Game—while outscoring Buffalo 139–113.

Statistically, it's besides each Mahomes. While he and Allen person each thrown 9 touchdown passes successful their playoff matchups, Mahomes has yet to propulsion a postseason interception against nan Bills, He besides has much passing yards, a higher completion percentage, and a amended passer rating. On nan ground, Mahomes has recovered nan extremity area 3 times while Allen has yet to do truthful against nan Chiefs’ defense.

Here's a side-by-side look:

Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes Timeline: Head-to-Head Game Log

Mahomes and Allen person faced disconnected 9 times complete nan people of their storied careers. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

With Sunday afternoon's title marking nan 10th specified matchup betwixt 2 of nan league's champion successful Mahomes and Allen, here's a look backmost astatine their 9 erstwhile duels, making love backmost to 2020.

Oct. 19, 2020: The rivalry originates pinch a Chiefs triumph successful Buffalo

In nan first of what would yet group up to beryllium 10-plus meetings betwixt nan two—and hopefully nan only 1 without fans successful attendance—the 4-1 Chiefs traveled to Buffalo amid nan COVID-19 pandemic to return connected nan also-4-1 Bills.

2020 marked some Mahomes and Allen's 3rd play arsenic their team's respective starters, pinch nan erstwhile coming distant victorious successful Round 1. Behind a 21-for-26, 225-yard, two-touchdown capacity from No. 15, nan Chiefs hit nan Bills 26-17 and improved to 5-1 connected nan season.

As for Allen's stat line? He went 14-for-26 passing for 112 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception.

All-time record: Mahomes 1, Allen 0

Jan. 24, 2021: Chiefs return down Bills successful AFC Championship Game, beforehand to 2nd consecutive Super Bowl

Meeting No. 2 betwixt Mahomes and Allen came conscionable complete 3 months aft their first, and this clip connected nan biggest shape of all: nan AFC Championship Game.

With Kansas City playing big from historical Arrowhead Stadium, nan Chiefs came retired connected apical 38-24 and precocious to their 2nd Super Bowl successful arsenic galore seasons. Mahomes was again sensational, throwing for 325 yards and 3 touchdowns connected 29 of his 38 walk attempts (76%), while Allen notched 287 yards and 2 scores, but was wounded by a costly fourth-quarter interception..

All-time record: Mahomes 2, Allen 0

Oct. 10, 2021: Allen strikes backmost pinch first profession triumph complete Mahomes

Finally! A Bills win!

After falling to 0-2 successful his profession vs. Mahomes nan erstwhile winter, Allen came backmost pinch a vengeance nan pursuing October and gave Buffalo their first triumph complete Kansas City since 2017.

The Bills' commencement awesome caller was conscionable astir flawless successful this one, throwing for 315 yards and 3 touchdowns while moving for 59 yards and an further people connected nan ground. Mahomes, meanwhile, threw 2 second-half interceptions—including 1 that information Micah Hyde returned for a pick-six.

Buffalo came distant pinch a three-score, 38-20 win.

All-time record: Mahomes 2, Allen 1

Jan. 23, 2022: Chiefs, Mahomes apical Bills successful AFC divisional information pinch late-game dramatics

Thirteen seconds is each shot fans request to perceive to retrieve this one.

After a back-and-forth conflict betwixt nan Chiefs and Bills successful nan AFC divisional information saw Buffalo down by 4 points precocious successful nan 4th quarter, Allen deed wide receiver Gabe Davis successful nan extremity area for his 4th touchdown walk of nan evening to return nan lead pinch conscionable 13 seconds to play.

On nan different end, however, Mahomes made nan astonishing happen. In conscionable 2 plays, he drove Kansas City down nan section pinch chunk gains to Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, and group up kicker Harrison Butker for a game-tying section extremity that sent it to overtime.

The Chiefs past won nan coin flip and only needed 1 thrust successful nan last frame, pinch Mahomes again uncovering Kelce, this clip successful nan extremity zone, for nan winning score—one that besides changed NFL overtime rules forever.

Side note: Mahomes and Allen mixed for 8 (!) full touchdowns and zero turnovers successful this one.

All-time record: Mahomes 3 - Allen 1

Oct. 16, 2022: Allen delivers his ain signature, late-game infinitesimal vs. Chiefs

Returning to Arrowhead specified months aft their tragic overtime defeat, nan Bills made their ain late-game heroics hap successful Week 6 of nan 2022 season.

Down 20-17 pinch conscionable complete 5 minutes remaining successful nan 4th quarter, Allen led Buffalo's discourtesy connected a 12-play, 76-yard thrust capped by a 14-yard touchdown walk to tight extremity Dawson Knox pinch 1:09 remaining.

Then, connected nan Chiefs' ensuing possession, cornerback Taron Johnson intercepted Mahomes—the quarterback's 2nd prime of nan day—to seal it for nan Bills, giving them a 24-20 victory.

All-time record: Mahomes 3, Allen 2

Dec. 10, 2023: Bills, again, bargain 1 precocious successful first gathering vs. Chiefs successful complete a year

After missing each different successful nan postseason for nan first clip successful 2 years, nan Bills erstwhile again traveled to Kansas City to return connected nan Chiefs astatine Arrowhead successful what would go different iconic matchup.

Buffalo went up 14-0 early successful nan 2nd quarter, but allowed nan Chiefs to claw their measurement backmost and necktie nan crippled astatine 17 successful nan fourth. Then, for nan 2nd clip successful arsenic galore meetings against Kansas City, Allen vanished a precocious scoring thrust pinch a walk to a tight end—this clip Dalton Kincaid—before Tyler Bass deed a section extremity to unafraid a 20-17 triumph for nan Bills.

All-time record: Mahomes 3, Allen 3

Jan. 21, 2024: Buffalo comes up short pinch a travel to nan AFC Championship connected nan line

Facing disconnected successful nan postseason for nan first clip successful astir 2 years—this clip astatine Buffalo's Highmark Stadium—the Chiefs and Bills gave shot fans yet different thriller successful nan 2023-24 AFC divisional round.

Down by 4 astatine halftime and again successful nan 4th quarter, Mahomes did what he does successful nan playoffs, starring Kansas City connected 2 second-half touchdown drives to unafraid his 3rd triumph complete Buffalo erstwhile it matters most. He vanished 17-for-23 passing for 215 yards and 2 touchdowns connected nan afternoon, and posted a ascendant 131.6 passer rating.

Allen, meanwhile, turned successful a coagulated capacity of his ain pinch 3 full touchdowns, but grounded to people successful nan last framework of what was yet a 27-24 Chiefs win.

All-time record: Mahomes 4, Allen 3

Nov. 17, 2024: Bills extremity undefeated Chiefs successful their tracks

Riding a 15-game winning streak that dated backmost to nan play prior, nan Chiefs went into Buffalo successful Week 10 of 2024 and were stopped dormant successful their tracks by nan Bills.

While this 1 didn't person arsenic galore late-game fireworks arsenic their matchups of old, it did spot Buffalo again beryllium capable to hit Kansas City successful nan regular season—even arsenic they sported a 9-0 grounds to statesman nan year.

Statistically, Mahomes was 23-of-33 passing for 196 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 2 bookending interceptions connected nan Chiefs' first and past drives of nan game. Allen, meanwhile, was 27-for-40 for 262 yards, 1 touchdown, an interception of his own, and a people connected nan crushed pinch conscionable complete 2 minutes to play that secured a 30-21 Bills win.

All-time record: Mahomes 4, Allen 4

Jan. 26, 2025: Chiefs, Mahomes beforehand to 5th Super Bowl successful six seasons

Death, taxes, and nan Chiefs representing nan AFC successful nan Super Bowl.

Back connected their location turf astatine Arrowhead, nan Chiefs welcomed nan Bills to Kansas City this past January for a chance to return complete arsenic kings of nan conference—and alternatively won their 3rd consecutive AFC Championship Game, their 5th successful six years.

Buffalo led 22-21 heading into nan 4th quarter, but a rushing touchdown from Mahomes—his 2nd of nan day—stifled nan Bills' momentum. They past managed to necktie nan title astatine 29 pinch conscionable complete six minutes to play, but Mahomes erstwhile again orchestrated a late-game thrust that group up a 35-yard Butker section goal, marking nan last people of nan crippled and a 32-29 Chiefs win.

Again, some awesome callers played adjacent flawless football. Allen was 22-for-24 passing for 237 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Mahomes went 18-for-26 pinch some a passing touchdown and 2 rushing touchdowns.

All-time record: Mahomes 5, Allen 4

Needless to say, it's been a canine conflict betwixt these 2 from nan infinitesimal they first took nan section against 1 another.

"I deliberation different than for illustration 2 games that we've played against each other, I deliberation each azygous crippled comes down to for illustration 1 play present aliases location that personification has to make ... " Mahomes said of his matchups pinch Allen. "I deliberation it conscionable comes down to players making plays successful large moments ... to me, it's conscionable astir nan adjacent clip and it's astir going retired location and playing against a awesome shot team."

"It's nan adjacent one," echoed Allen. "Every crippled is different, each twelvemonth is different, everything presents itself successful a different way. Nothing that happened past year, aliases nan twelvemonth before, aliases nan twelvemonth earlier that carries complete aliases matters this week ... astatine nan extremity of nan day, we've gotta travel retired and play nan champion shot that we tin play.

So what will hap adjacent successful this storied rivalry? Tune successful to find out. Sunday's title from Buffalo's Highmark Stadium is group for a 4:25 p.m. ET footwear disconnected and will aerial connected CBS.

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