Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes is looking forward to renewing his rivalry with Buffalo Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen.
The two will meet again when Kansas City faces Buffalo on Sunday in an AFC Divisional Round playoff game, with the winner advancing to the championship game. The matchup will mark the seventh time Mahomes and Allen will clash in just the past four seasons.
The two have featured in some of the best games in recent memory, and the growing rivalry has prompted comparisons to the Tom Brady-Peyton Manning rivalry.
“We’ve played in a lot of big games. I’m excited about the challenge,” Mahomes told reporters Wednesday. “I grew up watching those (Brady-Manning) games and remember how many memories I have from that, and hopefully we can play in these great games as well.”
Each player has won three games in the rivalry, but Allen has won the past two games – including a 20-17 win during Week 14 – and has a 3-1 record in regular season games. Mahomes has a 2-0 record in playoff games.
Kansas City posted a 42-36 overtime win over the Bills in a divisional round game in 2021 and a 38-24 win in the AFC championship game in 2020.
Mahomes is looking to appear in his fourth Super Bowl game and win his third Super Bowl title, while Allen has yet to reach the big game. There are more than a few observers who say the pressure is greater on Allen.
“They’ve been at the top of the mountain, they know what it takes to get there,” Allen told reporters on Wednesday. “We’ve yet to do that. As a competitor, as a player, to be in a situation like this is something that you dream about.”
Allen is probably looking forward to Sunday’s game more than he did for the previous playoff games against Kansas City. Sunday’s game will be played at the Bills’ Highmark Stadium, the first time a playoff game with Mahomes and Allen will be played in Buffalo. It’s also the first time Mahomes will appear in a playoff game on the road.
“They’ve gotten the best of us in the playoffs the last few years,” Allen said. “We finally got a home game, and we’ve got to go out there and put our best foot forward and play as best as we can play.”
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