The Kansas City Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes and Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen are in a class by themselves in the view of one NFL head coach.

“For me, Mahomes and Josh Allen are the two guys right now that people are the most afraid to play,” the coach said to The Athletic’s Mike Sando. “They do not go in and say they are as afraid to go play Joe Burrow. Maybe that is just from a playmaking standpoint. I think Joe is great, but these two (Mahomes and Allen) put teams on their backs and win.”

Mahomes’ inclusion here is the kind of thing that doesn’t require much explanation. The 28-year-old is already a three-time Super Bowl champion, and the Chiefs’ most recent triumph provided the strongest evidence that he’s basically a cheat code on the field.

 

ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - JANUARY 21: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs hugs Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills after the AFC Divisional Playoff game at Highmark Stadium on January 21, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)

The coach’s assessment of Allen points to the good still far outweighing the bad. How long that remains the case is increasingly up for debate, though.

Like other NFL passers before him, the two-time Pro Bowler can leave you at a loss for words for both good and bad reasons — sometimes in the space of one game. He’s capable of threading the ball into tight windows inaccessible to almost anyone else, yet his self-belief can lead to some bad decisions.

Allen threw the second-most interceptions in 2023 (18) and was one off the league lead in 2022 with 14.

At his best, Allen can go toe to toe with Mahomes on the biggest stage, and their shootout in January 2022 remains the prime example.

However, the 28-year-old is probably facing more scrutiny than ever to show he can perform at an elite level while rooting out the mistakes that cost his team at inopportune times.