The AFC Championship is here, with the Buffalo Bills on the road visiting the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. These two teams have faced one another in the playoffs as many as any pair in NFL history, but it's been especially common of late. Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes has quickly turned into an annual postseason affair, to the delight of many.
Though these Chiefs have won all three of their recent playoff meetings, the games have been nothing short of spectacular. Some of the best football of the modern era has been played between these two, and the stats reflect that. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are prolific quarterbacks, but how have they fared through this playoff series?
Jan 24, 2021: Chiefs 38 - 24 Bills
In their second-ever meeting, Buffalo was on a miracle run. This team shocked the NFL with Josh Allen's remarkable breakout season in 2020, and their shot to the AFC Championship game came with wins over the Philip Rivers-led Colts and Lamar Jackson's Ravens. Kansas City was scary, but the Bills had hope. It wasn't enough against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but it was incredible nonetheless.
Josh Allen
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28/48 | 287 | 2 | 1 | 4-53 | 80.8 | 7 | 88 | 0 |
Patrick Mahomes
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
29/38 | 325 | 3 | 0 | 1-0 | 127.6 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Mahomes was poised, competitive, and pulling off an incredible run. Josh Allen was new to the big stage but his admirable showing deserved credit. Still, he simply wasn't ready yet. Next time, he would be.
Jan 23, 2022: Chiefs 42 - 36 Bills
It isn't overstating it to call this game the greatest football game ever played. The 2021/22 AFC divisional round matchup between the Buffalo Bills and the Kansas City Chiefs will be remembered for decades to come. The game so good that they changed the overtime rules to justify it. Truly, it was the Bills' best chance to make it to the Super Bowl in nearly 30 years, and for a moment they had won it. Then, disaster struck. Still, as far as individual performances go, Josh Allen was probably as impressive as he's ever been; It's a shame his defense wasn't. Mahomes once again won the day, and was incredible as he did it.
Josh Allen
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27/37 | 329 | 4 | 0 | 2-16 | 136.0 | 11 | 68 | 0 |
Patrick Mahomes
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
33/44 | 378 | 3 | 0 | 2-8 | 123.1 | 7 | 69 | 1 |
With 13 seconds left in the game, it seemed as though it was already over. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills had all but advanced to the AFC Championship for the second consecutive season. His statline may be impeccable, but it was better than even the numbers show. Imagine if he'd had the extra posession in overtime- How good could this have been?
Jan 21, 2024: Chiefs 27 - 24 Bills
Though the Kansas City Chiefs didn't meet the Bills in the 2023 playoffs, they ran into each other after just a year apart. It was Josh Allen's least impressive passing game of the series, by the numbers, but a performance marred by errors in every phase of the game was close because of the work he put in with his legs. Drops, defensive errors, and a fatal missed field goal, but Allen's ability to extend and create on the run makes this another landmark performance. Still, the quiet day was matched by Patrick Mahomes, who was efficient and regular in the clean win.
Josh Allen
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
26/39 | 186 | 1 | 0 | 0-0 | 86.1 | 12 | 72 | 2 |
Patrick Mahomes
Comp/Att | Pass Yards | Pass TD | Int | Sack (Lost Yards) | Passer Rating | Rush Att | Rush Yards | Rush TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
17/23 | 215 | 2 | 0 | 0-0 | 131.6 | 6 | 19 | 0 |
These two have played so many games together, but never has their playoff meeting been anything but electric. As they're set to face one another again, we can't wait to see the numbers.