The Buffalo Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs to hand Patrick Mahomes his first loss of the season, and Josh Allen’s game-winning performance could have lasting implications.
Josh Allen has been hailed as the NFL’s top quarterback after leading the Buffalo Bills to victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs saw their undefeated season end on Sunday when Patrick Mahomes encountered the first challenge of 2024 he couldn’t overcome. And it was 28-year-old Allen who sealed the Chiefs’ fate with a signature 26-yard touchdown run, securing a 30-21 win for the Bills at home.
And ex-NFL guard Damien Woody is cemented in his belief the game signalled who is currently the best quarterback in the league. Despite Mahomes recently being touted for the MVP award amid the Chiefs’ formidable season, Woody offered a pointed nine-word rebuttal.
“Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the league,” he said on ESPN’s Get Up (via the Irish Star). “Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the league. I know when I said that this morning, you were like, ‘Well what about Lamar Jackson? Patrick Mahomes?’ Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the National Football League. Right now, he’s the best quarterback.
“You know how you talk about styles? He can play whatever way you want him to play. If you need him to air it out and throw it all over the yard, Josh Allen can do that. If you want him rumbling and tumbling all over the field, guess what? He can do that.”
The Bills QB has faced criticism for being reckless at times over the years, though his high-risk, high-reward style almost always guarantees entertainment. In contrast, three-time Super Bowl champ Mahomes, 29, is often seen as the more reliable and consistent in his fundamentals.
Mahomes is behind Allen in the MVP odds ( Image: Ryan Kang/Getty Images)
Despite Buffalo’s five consecutive playoff appearances with Allen steering the ship, they’ve yet to make a Super Bowl run since their 1993 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. The Chiefs have been a recurring stumbling block, knocking them out of the post-season three times in the past four years.
However, Woody pointed out that Allen has shown notable improvements, particularly in ball security. That could be the difference maker in finally bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy back to New York.
“And you know the thing that he’s doing, probably the best he’s done his whole career? He’s taking care of the football,” Woody continued. “He’s taking care of the football. Josh Allen puts on his cape when he needs to put on his cape, and going head to head against Patrick Mahomes in the game of the year, Josh Allen was playing some of his best ball in the biggest game of the year.”
"Josh Allen is the best quarterback in the league." 🍿
—@damienwoody after Josh Allen's performance in the Bills' win vs. the Chiefs pic.twitter.com/WMW0i3LG0a
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) November 18, 2024
Allen’s tendency for wastefulness did resurface with a second-quarter interception on fourth down. Yet even Mahomes wasn’t immune to errors, throwing a late-game interception that quashed any remaining glimmer of a Chiefs comeback.
Mahomes managed only 196 yards from 23 completions on Sunday; only the San Francisco 49ers (154) and the Cincinnati Bengals (151) have held the Kansas City star to fewer this year. However, the critical difference is that the Bills emerged victorious, unlike those other two teams.
Of course, there are other Bills personnel who deserve recognition for Sunday’s win, particularly the defense who forced Mahomes to record two interceptions for just the third time this season. But it was Allen who truly shone and positioned himself as the clear frontrunner for this year’s MVP award.
