Buffalo Bills Josh Allen says he is 'playing free and not fearing consequences' against the Chiefs

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen knows the team must come into Sunday's AFC Championship against the Bills with a different mindset if they want a different result. While his regular season record against Kansas City is an excellent 4-1, the playoffs - a time when players can get a little tight under the pressure - have proved a hurdle the Bills have been have been unable to leap, losing all three playoff contests to Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Patrick Mahomes vs. the Bills in the playoffs:
— PFF KC Chiefs (@PFF_Chiefs) January 22, 2024
79/105
918 yards
8 TDs / 0 INTs
3-0 record pic.twitter.com/SBaLatM0td
However, Allen recently revealed to reporters a seeming change in approach, perhaps stirred by Bills head coach Sean McDermott's message to the team earlier in the week:
It's hard to win if you're playing scared to lose.
- Sean McDermott, Head Coach
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When asked what McDermott's words meant to him, Allen quickly responded, "Playing free. Not fearing consequences of messing up. And, again, it does go back to feeling if we've prepared and we've given ourselves everything we can throughout the week then, on Sunday, let it loose and go from there." (3:37 mark in link below)
We’re live with @JoshAllenQB as he takes questions from the media after practice.#BUFvsKC | #BillsMafia https://t.co/MWi3lhQW1n
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) January 24, 2025
It's a sound philosophy. Highly successful athletes and teams, the ones who win the big ones, often have a 'prepare and then let if fly' mentality including, notably, the Super Bowl quarterback who will be on the other side of field on Sunday. Patrick Mahomes knows a thing or two about playing free.
To hear Allen's words - and see how completely relaxed he is saying them - it's not a leap to think to believe that this newfound fearless freedom may just be the thing that pushes the Bills past their poor postseason record and delivers them to the Super Bowl.