Another chapter was added to the growing rivalry between star quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes after the Buffalo Bills beat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday. The Bills escaped, 30-21, at Highmark Stadium to end the Chiefs’ impressive 15-game winning streak dating back to last season. It was the Bills’ winning streak that got extended with a sixth straight victory.
Once again, the 28-year-old Allen came up big down the stretch, rushing for a 26-yard touchdown on fourth down with only 2:17 left in the final quarter, which sealed the win for Buffalo. The Bills improved to 9-2, while the Chiefs dropped to 9-1.
When asked about his MVP-like play, Allen didn’t hesitate mentioning the 29-year-old Mahomes. “Any time you give the ball back to Pat, that offense, down six with the game on the line, I like their odds in that situation,” said Allen in a report from the Associated Press. “So wanting six or seven (points) to try to make it a two-score game (was the goal).”
Allen, who was dealing with pain in his throwing hand, passed for 262 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Mahomes, meanwhile, threw for 196 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Allen has beaten Mahomes in their last four meetings in the regular season. The playoffs, however, have been a different story, with the Chiefs besting the Bills in their last three matchups, including a classic win in the divisional round, 27-24, in January. The two talented signal-callers have always expressed admiration and respect for each other, making their competitive rivalry one of the most anticipated storylines each season.
A Josh Allen NFL MVP feels like it’s only a matter of time, right? After all, Charles Barkley won the NBA MVP when Michael Jordan dominated. Sure, Sir Charles never won a title, but the Round Mound of Rebounding did not get boxed out of all the hardware.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback is now the +125 betting favorite at FanDuel, following Buffalo’s 30-21 win over the Kansas City Chiefs in this season’s most hyped game to date. Patrick Mahomes has still won all three playoff matchups, so this result was far from a passing of the torch. However, it could become a significant chapter in Allen’s MVP campaign.
Lamar Jackson had held the favorite status over the last couple of weeks, but the Baltimore Ravens fell to the Pittsburgh Steelers a few hours before Allen sealed Buffalo’s win on a fourth-down touchdown run. Jackson is now the second favorite with +200 odds. After that is a dropoff to Jared Goff (+800), Mahomes (+1200), and Jalen Hurts (+1700).
A quarterback has won this award in 11 straight years, paralleling the league’s emphasis on passing and scoring. During this stretch, the MVP quarterback has led a top-two seed in either conference while also posting impressive statistics. Allen and the Bills improved to 9-2, and only the Chiefs and Detroit Lions have a better record at 9-1. Buffalo has the ninth-easiest remaining schedule and likely has only two games in which they will be either an underdog or favored by less than three points. That positions Allen well to finish with one of the league’s top records.
Meanwhile, only a few quarterbacks of teams expected to contend for the top seeds can truly challenge Allen. Mahomes has underwhelmed statistically. Jackson already has four losses and may also be a victim of voter fatigue by being the reigning MVP. Jared Goff has a path, but he is not considered an elite quarterback, which could impact a voting narrative. The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are 8-2, but Jalen Hurts and Kirk Cousins face plenty of resistance right now.
Buffalo heads now into the bye and then hosts the San Francisco 49ers.