A pair of young guns own the NFL.
When Patrick Mahomes took the NFL by storm in 2018, it quickly ushered in the next evolution of quarterbacks: Passers who could do everything inside and outside of the pocket, and do it with style, flash and flair.
Mahomes' dominance was matched by few, but one that constantly delivers against the best of the bets is Bills QB Josh Allen.
Whenever the Chiefs and Bills go at it, fans know they are in for a treat. The two AFC perenniel contenders have delivered a number of thrilling classics, whether up in Buffalo at Highmark Stadium, or in the midwest at Arrowhead Stadium.
Allen may have the edge in the regular season, but Mahomes has a history of getting the bets of his foe come playoff time. Here's how they match up historically.
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes stats
Mahomes was an instant success in the NFL as opposed to Allen, who built himself up from being a project passer in the first round to the player that's dominated today. Still, their numbers are similar since they both started in full-time in 2018, which was Allen's rookie year and Mahomes' first year as starter in KC.
Here's how their numbers stack up since entering the league (regular-season stats only):
| Allen | Stat | Mahomes |
|---|---|---|
| 104 (103 starts) | Games | 68 (68 starts) |
| 71-32-0 | Record | 83-22-0 |
| 24,984 | Passing yards | 30,632 |
| 184 | Passing TDs | 231 |
| 82 | INTs | 72 |
| 3,872 | Rushing yards | 2,103 |
| 57 | Rushing TDs | 13 |
| 241 | Total TDs | 244 |
And here is a game-by-game breakdown of how each player fared, head-to-head:
2020 regular season: Chiefs 26, Bills 17
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 80.8 | 225 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 36 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 51.9 | 122 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 42 | 0 |
2020 playoffs: Chiefs 38, Bills 24
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 76.3 | 325 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 58.3 | 287 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 88 | 0 |
2021 regular season: Bills 38, Chiefs 20
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 61.1 | 272 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 61 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 57.8 | 315 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 59 | 1 |
2021 playoffs: Chiefs 42, Bills 36 (OT)
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 75 | 378 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 69 | 1 |
| Josh Allen | 72.9 | 329 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 68 | 0 |
2022 regular season: Bills 24, Chiefs 20
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 62.5 | 338 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 67.5 | 329 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 32 | 0 |
2023 regular season: Bills 20, Chiefs 17
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 58.1 | 271 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 54.7 | 233 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 32 | 1 |
2023 playoffs: Chiefs 27, Bills 24
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 73.9 | 215 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 66.7 | 189 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 72 | 2 |
2024 regular season: Bills 30, Chiefs 24
| Player | Completion % | Passing yards | Pass TDs | Interceptions | Rushing attempts | Rushing yards | Rush TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Mahomes | 69.7 | 196 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Allen | 67.5 | 262 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 55 | 1 |
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes head-to-head record
When Allen and Mahomes go head-to-head, it's an even battle. The two foes are tied 4-4 all-time against one another, as of Week 11 of the 2024 season.
With that said, it's been a tale of two times of the year when Buffalo and Kansas City meet. Allen owns an impressive 4-1 record over Mahomes during the regular season, picking up wins early in the year on multiple occasions.
However, when it comes to the playoffs, it's the opposite. The Chiefs have bested the Bills all three times the pair have faced in the postseason. The Chiefs knocked off the Bills in the 2020 AFC championship game, punching their ticket to Super Bowl 56. They also won their 2021 AFC divisional matchup, which changed the fabric of NFL overtime rules, with Mahomes outgunning Allen in OT for a 42-36 win.
Most recently in the playoffs, Kansas City defeated Buffalo 27-24 in the divisional round of the 2023 playoffs, en route to a Super Bowl 58 win over San Francisco.
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes: Who's faster?
Allen might have been genetically engineered in a Wyoming lab: At 6-7 and 237 pounds at the 2018 NFL Combine, Allen ran a 4.75 40-yard dash. That's pretty ridiculous for a player of his size.
At the 2017 NFL Combine, Patrick Mahomes wasn't too far behind him, which is either impressive or not, depending on your perspective.
Mahomes was clocked at a 4.80 40-yard dash, but was also listed at two inches shorter and 12 pounds lighter than Allen at the time of the Combine.
Josh Allen vs. Patrick Mahomes: Who has the stronger arm?
Both Allen and Mahomes may have, at some point, had their right arms surgically removed and replaced with some kind of cybernetic T-800 robot arm, or something of that nature.
At the 2017 NFL Combine, Mahomes' ball velocity was tracked at 60 mph. Not to be outdone, in 2018, Allen's velocity was tracked at 62 mph. At his Pro Day, Allen casually flung few passes 80 yards through the air, and something that's matched by Mahomes in his Pro Day.
If "Madden" is your thing, Allen has a 99 "Throw Power" rating, as opposed to Mahomes, who is in second place with a 97 rating.
Both have exceptional arm talent, but the slight nod goes to Allen here.
