The rivalry between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs has become one of the NFL’s most compelling storylines, with quarterbacks Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes at the heart of it. While the Bills have held the upper hand in regular-season matchups (winning four of five), the Chiefs have dominated in the postseason, ending Buffalo’s season four times without a loss.
The latest heartbreak came in last season’s AFC Championship, where Buffalo lost 32-29. The game stirred controversy when Allen was ruled short on a critical fourth-down quarterback sneak early in the fourth quarter. The Bills were up 22-21 at the time and could have pulled away. Instead, Kansas City capitalized immediately and never trailed again.
This marked the third straight year Allen and the Bills were eliminated by Mahomes’ Chiefs. As a result, Allen continues to face the same question: How can Buffalo finally beat Kansas City in the playoffs? And he’s had enough.
“You’ve got to make sure that you’re doing everything right on your side of the football and not giving him short fields and turnovers,” Allen said in an interview with D.J. Siddiqi of Esports Insider. “Getting over that hump — it’s been the question. I hear it all the time. I’m getting a little tired of it. But the way to stop getting that question asked is to go out there and do it.”
The Bills’ playoff defeats to Kansas City include two losses in the AFC Championship and two in the Divisional Round. In 2023, they lost 27-24 despite leading into the fourth quarter. In 2022, they fell 42-36 in overtime after a thrilling exchange of late touchdowns. Their 2021 postseason clash ended in a 38-24 blowout.
Given recent history, another playoff meeting between Allen and Mahomes seems likely — and Allen knows the only way to silence the narrative is to finally win when it matters most.
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