What to watch as Chiefs visit Bills: Is Mahomes-Allen the NFL’s best QB rivalry?
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are the central figures in what’s become one of the NFL’s best matchups as the Chiefs visit the Bills on Sunday.
But some of the numbers this year are well below the star quarterbacks’ career averages.
Entering the NFL’s Week 11 games, Mahomes ranks 17th in passer rating. How off-pace is that? Mahomes is No. 2 all-time in that category. Allen has one 300-yard passing game so far this season (same as Mahomes). He had five last season and six the previous year.
But both signal-callers excelling at what they do best: winning games. The Chiefs stand 9-0 and would be the top seed in the AFC if the playoffs were today. The 8-2 Bills would be second.
And don’t bother asking Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo if Allen has lacked in any department this season.
“This quarterback, there aren’t enough superlatives ... He’s a quarterback who runs like a fullback,” Spagnuolo said.
Allen averages 58 rushing yards per game and has four touchdowns. He rushed for two in the Bills’ playoff loss to the Chiefs last season. In seven career games against Kansas City, he has never rushed for less than 32 yards.
Mahomes threw at least one interception in his first seven games this season, but he didn’t throw a pick in the most recent two. It’s likely he’ll add a weapon this weekend, as wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster is slated to return from an injury.
Allen and the Bills have won three of four regular-season games against the Chiefs since 2020, with the three victories coming at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mahomes and Chiefs are 3-0 in the playoffs against the Bills. This will be their eighth meeting in five years.
Is Mahomes vs. Allen a rivalry on par with Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning? It’s heading in that direction. Brady and Manning met 17 times, including the playoffs, with Brady holding a 11-6 edge against Manning’s Colts and Broncos.
“You’re playing the best, I mean, the best of the best,” Mahomes said of Allen. “Every single game, it seems like it comes down to the very end. He’s a guy that competes and he has that fire.”
Here’s what else to watch when the Chiefs meet the Bills at 3:25 p.m. Central on Sunday:
Chiefs player to watch: WR Xavier Worthy
With one reception in the past two games, it’s been a bit of a slog lately for Worthy. He was targeted a total of six times in those games, and two of those could have gone for long touchdowns. But he didn’t keep his feet inbounds against the Bucs, and Mahomes threw a bad pass against the Broncos.
“I’ve missed (Worthy) on some of those deep shots,” Mahomes said. “He’s getting open every single game.”
Look for the pair to reconnect Sunday.
Bills player to watch: Defensive end Greg Rousseau
Rousseau is having an excellent year with a team-leading 5 1/2 sacks and 22 pressures. He’ll line up against Wayna Morris, who is coming off an abbreviated appearance against the Broncos last week. When Morris was out, rookie Kingsley Suamataia had a miserable time.
Mahomes has been sacked 20 times this season, including four times in each of the past two games. The Bills will look to disrupt an offense that relies on the short passing game to help control possession time.
Also, the Bills’ defense overall has excelled at takeaways. They have a combined 19 interceptions and fumble recovers, second in the NFL.
Special teams to watch: KC returner Mecole Hardman
In a game last weekend that will be remembered for Leo Chenal’s blocked field goal on the final snap, Hardman appeared poised to log his own highlight moment.
It, too, came on a Broncos field-goal attempt at the end of a half.
At the end of the first half, Will Lutz trotted onto the field to attempt a 60-yarder. Hardman stood under the goal posts, caught the kick (which was well short of the goal post) and headed upfield. He got to midfield before being stopped by Denver’s Cody Barton.
Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub thought Hardman would’ve scored if not for Barton, who was substituted into the game for that play.
“(The Broncos) were really smart,” Toub said. “We called a timeout and they put (Barton) in because they knew we had a returner in the game.”
Hardman also added a 19-yard punt return in last week’s game and ranks fourth in the NFL at 11.9 yards per return.
This story was originally published November 15, 2024 at 10:24 AM.