Getty Josh Allen looks on before a Buffalo Bills game.
Josh Allen and Joe Burrow will face off on January 2 in what could be one of the most consequential games of the NFL regular season.
While both quarterbacks have led their teams to the top of the AFC, one analyst believes there is no competition between the Buffalo Bills quarterback and his Cincinnati Bengals counterpart. When asked which quarterback he would rather have on his team, Fox Sports analyst Skip Bayless was clear — it’s not Allen.
Bayless Puts Josh Allen in His Place
Appearing on “Undisputed” on December 28, Bayless discussed which of the four top quarterbacks in the conference — Allen, Burrow, Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert — he would pick to build a team around.
For Bayless, Allen didn’t even make the top two.
“There’s only one right answer to this and it’s ain’t even close, and it’s Joe Burrow,” Bayless said, adding that Burrow just edged out the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback. “He just plays the position at a little higher level than Patrick does, he operates the offense at a little higher level than Patrick does.”
Who would you rather have: Mahomes, Allen, Burrow or Herbert?
“There’s only one right answer to this and it’s not even close: Joe Burrow.” — @RealSkipBayless
Bayless praised Burrow for his toughness, noting that his offensive line was one of the league’s worst last season and Burrow was one of the most sacked quarterbacks, but he was still able to lead his team past Mahomes and the Chiefs to reach the Super Bowl.
Both Burrow (4,260) and Mahomes (4,720) lead Allen (4,029) in passing yards going into Week 17, though Allen’s 746 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns gave him a boost in all-purpose production. He has also shaken off a mid-season slump to lead the Bills to six straight victories, clinching their third straight AFC East title and guaranteeing they finish no worse than third in the conference.
Josh Allen and Joe Burrow Meet for First Time
The Monday Night Football game between the Bengals and Bills will be the first time that Burrow and Allen have faced each other. Though the Bills have faced other top AFC contenders — including five meetings with Mahomes and the Chiefs over the last three seasons — they have not played the Bengals since 2019, the season before Burrow was drafted.
Burrow told reporters this week that he and Allen have grown close over the last few years and he admires the Bills quarterback for what he can do on the field.
“Yeah, we’re friends. We’ve hung out quite a bit,” Burrow said. “Everybody that watches Josh, there’s no secret about why he’s so good. He’s fun to watch, he runs around. He makes plays. He makes throws that nobody else can make. He’s just an exciting player, a great player that it’s going to be fun to go up against him.”
While it may be a friendly rivalry between the quarterbacks, there will be a lot on the line when the Bills and Bengals face off. The game could determine the top overall seed in the AFC and a bye in the first round of the playoffs, a prize that has eluded the Bills over the course of the last two seasons.