Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen have many similarities.
They both have strong arms and can run, but when coming out of Texas Tech, Mahomes was considered by some just another “Air Raid” quarterback. And Allen, who played at Wyoming, was panned for inconsistent performances and not having played against top competition.
Now a few years into their careers, Mahomes and Allen are considered the best two young quarterbacks in the league. They also happen to be good friends. Although, that friendship might take about a three-hour break when the Bills play the Chiefs at 3:25 p.m. Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.
“When you go up against the other great quarterbacks in the league you always want to win and you always want to compete,” Mahomes said. “Josh is a great guy, a great quarterback. Physically talented, can throw, can run, can really do it all. But he’s a great dude, too.
“And so, obviously when we’re on the football field we’re competing against each other, and we want to beat each other’s teams. But I have a ton of respect for him as a player and person that he is.”
Mahomes and Allen last met in the summer when they teamed up and played against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers in a golf exhibition match. Mahomes and Allen ended up on the losing side that day, but both have quarterbacked their teams to 4-1 records this season.
The last time Mahomes and Allen met on the football field was back in January when the Chiefs rallied and beat the Bills in overtime in the AFC divisional round. Allen threw for 329 yards and four touchdowns and added 68 yards rushing.
Mahomes, meanwhile, threw for 378 yards with three touchdowns and rushed for another 69.
“To me, it was battling through adversity and finding a way to win no matter what it took,” Mahomes said of last season’s playoff game. “That’s still a great football team, and we know it’s going to come down to the wire every single time we play them. And so, to see the guys respond even when it looked like it was all over, that’s something you’ll always have.”
Mahomes is 3-1 against Allen’s Bills. The lone loss came last year during the regular season when the Bills defeated the Chiefs 38-20 at Arrowhead.
“Our job is to go out there and find a way to win a football game, and it’s a tough place to play at Arrowhead,” Mahomes said. “They’ve won here before, but we’ve also handled business before. So it’s going to be up to us to go out there and handle business on Sunday.”
