Getty Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Bills quarterback Josh Allen at Arrowhead Stadium on December 10, 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs will once again face the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Divisional round. While we’ve seen this script play out before, it’s never boring. With Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes going up against Bills star Josh Allen, it’s always an explosive showdown.
Speaking to reporters on January 17, Mahomes, who’s built a friendship with Allen over the years, admitted defeating the Bills has become personal. “When you compete against your friends, you almost want to win even more because of it,” Mahomes said.
“Josh is a great dude. I respect the way he plays football and just the guy that he is. But when two guys that are ultra competitive that are friends off the field go up against each other, we obviously both want to win. When we see each other in the offseason, you want a little bit of those bragging rights.”
Mahomes will play his first playoff game on the road against Buffalo. This Chiefs-Bills matchup also marks first time he’s playing at Highmark with a full crowd. The 28-year-old’s only road game against the Bills came in 2020 when fans weren’t allowed to attend.
“It is what it is,” Mahomes said of going on the road. “Obviously, I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games at home at home at Arrowhead… Even though I know it’s going to hostile, and people talking trash, I’m excited for it.” Playing in Orchard Park surrounded by Bills Mafia, “It’s one of the best environments in football.”
With the Bills on a seven-game win streak and home field advantage, the Chiefs are considered 2.5-point underdogs. For Mahomes, that changes nothing. “I go into every game with same mindset. To go out there and win… that never changes.”
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes Brushed Off Being the ‘Villain’ Buffalo
Patrick Mahomes’ first playoff road game: Josh Allen and the Bills 🍿
While the Bills defeated the Chiefs 20-17 earlier this season, Kansas City has eliminated Buffalo from the playoffs twice in the past three years. Since 2020, the Bills have beaten the Chiefs in three out of four regular season matchups, but a playoff win eludes them.
During the Bills-Chiefs 2020 AFC Conference title game, Buffalo took an early 9–0 lead but lost 38–24. The Chiefs’ 42-36 overtime win during the 2021 AFC Divisional round was a true heartbreaker for Buffalo. Those “13 seconds” still haunts Bills Mafia.
When asked about being the “villain” in Buffalo, Mahomes didn’t take the bait. “The Bills are great challenge,” he said. “I think everybody understands that. They’ve gotten my number a lot of times. We’ve been lucky enough to get them in the playoffs. They beat us earlier this year. We got to play our best football to win the game. Especially at their place. It’s not about ending someone’s season, it’s about advancing.”
Patrick Mahomes Isn’t Worried About the Cold Weather in Buffalo
Turtleneck Pat:
262 passing yards
41 rushing yards
1 TD
W ❄️
After soundly defeating the Miami Dolphins 26-7 in record-breaking freezing temperatures, Mahomes isn’t stressing the cold weather in Buffalo. While Erie County could get another foot of snow this week, per AccuWeather, the forecast is clear for game day. Temperatures are looking like a high of 26 degrees and a low of 18 on Sunday, January 21.
“Cold is cold,” Mahomes said. I don’t know. I haven’t played in buffalo in January. I don’t know if it beats the cold we played in this last week.”
While the Chiefs proved they can perform in cold weather, so can the Bills. Under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills are 11-1 in games 32 degrees or below, per the team’s website.