What Bills Loss Means for Patrick Mahomes-Josh Allen Debate

With the Kansas City Chiefs out of the playoffs, the AFC was wide open, and the Buffalo Bills had an immense opportunity to get over the hump without their biggest roadblock present.

Kansas City has eliminated Buffalo four times in the last five years in the playoffs, proving to be the Bills' kryptonite. That would not be the case this season, and Buffalo's path to the Super Bowl had never been clearer and more straightforward.

If you told Buffalo, before the season, that its road to a potential Super Bowl berth would include Kansas City missing the playoffs, and the quarterbacks in the way were Trevor Lawrence, Bo Nix, Drake Maye, and C.J. Stroud, the Bills would take that deal 100 percent of the time.

Buffalo orchestrated a game-winning drive against Jacksonville last weekend, setting up an AFC divisional round matchup against the Denver Broncos at Mile High.

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) calls an audible during the second quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Unfortunately for the Bills, Josh Allen produced an uncharacteristic playoff performance, committing four turnovers, two of which completely flipped the momentum in Denver's favor. The Broncos would prevail with a 33-30 win in overtime.

Let's take a look at how this result affected a specific narrative pertaining to Kansas City and Buffalo.

The Quarterback Debate is on Hold Until Further Notice

Jan 26, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) reacts on stage after the AFC Championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Over the last two years, the discourse surrounding Patrick Mahomes and Allen has never been more divided, as the three-time Super Bowl MVP has been statistically underwhelming during that span. However, Mahomes still reached the Super Bowl last year, taking down Allen and the Bills in the AFC Championship game.

That being said, Allen has produced lofty statistics in that same time, winning an MVP last year, while leading an inferior roster to deep runs in the postseason several times. However, with four losses at the hands of Mahomes and the Chiefs, the 29-year-old quarterback needed to get the job done this postseason. Obviously, that did not transpire, as the Bills lost to the better team and more complete roster.

Because Mahomes has three Super Bowls and is 4-0 against Allen in elimination games, the 30-year-old superstar should be viewed as the best quarterback until further notice. Allen could have really made a case for himself with a Super Bowl run, but in addition to falling short, committing the costly turnovers in the process does not help his argument for the top quarterback in the league.

Will Buffalo Ever Win?

Jan 17, 2026; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive tackle Malcolm Roach (97) tackles Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) during the second quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

With this result, there are serious questions about whether the Bills and Allen will ever get over the hump. If not now, then when? Of course, the 6-foot-5, 238-pound quarterback is capable of competing for a Lombardi Trophy, but this was Buffalo's best opportunity to do so.

Next season could present the Bills with a similar opportunity, as the Chiefs are entering a difficult offseason, and even then, the New England Patriots will continue to improve with Maye entering his third year in 2026. The AFC East is no longer a penciled-in win for the Bills. Nevertheless, Buffalo failed to take advantage of the moment, and the Chiefs could punish it for the missed opportunity from here on out.

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