Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Week 5 preview: Allen vs Mahomes III
Mike D: Overdue Bills Senior Writer
How many teams get a “week”? Even though for most of my life Miami has been terrible, we received enough beat downs in the ’70s and we repaid them in the ’90s, that Miami Week is a thing. Patriot Week was always fun because we spent all week pretending that we stood a chance vs Brady and Belichick. But besides those two teams, no one else deserved a week; until now. When you play a team that has a HOF-bound coach (Andy Reid), arguably the best-receiving tandem (Kelce & Hill), and the team that eliminated you in the AFC Championship, you better believe they get a week #ChiefsWeek. But let’s be honest, the main reason this week is exciting is that you are going against a regular season and super-bowl MVP. Also, you are the team that traded with Kansas City, allowing to draft Mahomes. Lastly, the debate about who can throw a football farther arises every year. As of now, Mahomes is 2-0 vs Josh, but he lost to Lamar and Herbert this year. Josh will be looking to get some revenge and add his name to the list. Let’s discuss what needs to happen, to ensure this happens
Before I get into this rivalry, let’s talk about a recent QB rivalry. I remember tuning into ESPN on Mondays, and all the coverage was about Patriots vs Colts. Brady vs Manning (Peyton) was legendary. They were the two best QB’s in the league and arguably of all time. When they faced off, you were preparing for a clash of the titans. While Peyton was arguably the better of the two during those years (stats-wise), Tom Brady got the better of him head-to-head. Out of the 17 times they met, Brady won 11, Manning won 6. Winston Churchill famously said “History is written by the victors”, and this couldn’t be more true when regarding this rivalry. Looking at it in the current day, Brady is the undisputed GOAT as far as QBs are concerned, NFL Players, and maybe in all of sports. But luckily I am old enough to have watched the games live. So much was riding on Peyton’s arm. While the QB’s were even, their defenses were not. Peyton only had a top 10 defense 5 times during his tenure in Indianapolis. Juxtapose that to Brady who had a top 10 defense 16 times. This is largely due to the coaches they had. While I love Tony Dungy, there is nobody better than the Evil Genius himself, Bill Belichick. So even though Peyton’s offense was rated higher, New England’s defense had his number.
This brings us to Allen vs Mahomes. While Mahomes is the better QB, Kansas city defense is atrocious. The game will be riding on his arm, just like it did on Peytons. Luckily for Josh, he may have the best defense in the league. If our defense can slow down Mahomes, much won’t be required of #17. But unlike the Colts vs Pats, The better QB also has the better coach. Actually, Sean McDermott is from the Andy Reid tree. So we have a Mr. Miyagi/Karate Kid situation. Hence, this is where McDermott must improve. The last two times these teams met, he was severely outcoached. To the point where I went on the Overdue Bills Post-game shows and accused him of folding under pressure. If we want a chance to make this rivalry competitive, he will be an integral part
Getting a Sunday night game is huge. We went years without getting anything but an obligatory Thursday Night Game. This game is awesome for the fans, but also players and coaches. This is a chance for teams who don’t always get the spotlight to make a name for themselves. This couldn’t be more true for Josh Allen. For the amount of praise he gets, it’s equally as much criticism thrown his way. Most of it is due to his college performance, draft position, and the first couple of years in the league. But a big part of it is Mahomes. I am guilty of constantly mentioning the fact that Buffalo traded from pick #10 to #27 with the KC in 2017. With that pick, KC chose Patrick Mahomes. In 2018, Buffalo used their 2 first-round picks to acquire Josh Allen. This leaves people to say, “would Buffalo be better off with Mahomes?” But you can’t change the past, only the future. Going forward, the Bills need to play and coach like they know they are on the Chiefs level. One way to do that is getting Mahomes off the field early, and Josh sustaining drives. If we do this, Josh can add his name to the list of QBs that have defeated Mahomes this year, and get one under his belt in this rivalry. Let’s hope that is the case Sunday Night! Make sure you get your merch for the game. We added an In-Town Pick-Up option, so you don’t have to pay for shipping if you’re willing to come and get the shirt from our designated location. Please check us out!
Betting Information
Spread: Buffalo +3
Over/Under: Over 56.5
Also, check out the great interview below!
References
Harris, Paul. “Harris: Why Tom Brady Is Actually the Most Overrated Quarterback Ever.” San Angelo Standard-Times, San Angelo Standard-Times, 8 Feb. 2021, https://www.gosanangelo.com/story/sports/2021/01/27/tom-brady-overrated-qb-new-england-patriots-tampa-bay-buccaneers/4256554001/.