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There have been many descriptions thrown out there about both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen. Their style of play is similar in certain aspects. Their arm talent is among the best in today’s NFL. Both quarterbacks can help their teams in key moments by creating out of structure, if necessary. Meanwhile, Mahomes and Allen have each had specific moments where their accuracy could not have been more pinpoint on a challenging throw. But for both Kansas City and Buffalo, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have had to play the role of superman plenty of times.
In 2023, that exact role has taken on a whole new meaning. Allen will have to come to Kansas City and drag his team across the finish line, in order for the Bills to stay alive in the playoff picture. Of course, they are currently at .500, with a 6-6 record. Meanwhile, Mahomes is looking to avoid a second-straight loss for the fourth time this season. After a rocky finish at Green Bay, can he get the offense in a groove to possibly keep pace for the AFC’s top seed?
What have the offensive struggles from this year shown us from both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen? Which offensive unit possibly has the upper hand this Sunday? Let’s kick it off.
Mahomes, Allen Being Forced To Evolve
Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen can still win in ways in which they have done in the past. But over the last couple of years, opponents have begun to play them differently. The two-high safety look was something that Kansas City started to see more often a couple of years ago. Overall, this led to Mahomes taking what was given to him underneath a lot more often. On the flip side, playing a mix of Cover 2, Cover 4 or Cover 6 has haunted Allen and the Bills the most. If you can take away the routes to the flats or quick, in-breaking throws designed to go to the slot receiver, he can often force throws into coverage.
It is not like this quarterback pair has failed to adjust and evolve at all. In general, Mahomes has been able to win by making the smarter decision much more frequently than he did at the start of his run as starter. Allen has been able to win by adjusting his calibration and touch in certain moments when attacking down the field.
However, the defensive disguises and looks that Mahomes and Allen are facing are ever-changing. Opponents have been able to get these passers to overthink. These passers can get into stretches of holding onto the ball for too long, to boot. As we have seen this season, Mahomes and Allen have both had more success when operating at more of a heightened pace, while also being able to hit more consistently on underneath or intermediate throws.
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Singlehandedly Carrying Their Teams
It is no secret that both Kansas City and Buffalo have depth questions in their pass catching rooms. For each of the Chiefs and the Bills, they have had opportunities to improve those spots. For whatever reason, their attempts to fill those voids has been met with minimized production and stunted growth. Some pass catchers have never been able to find their footing within their respective offensive schemes. As things currently stand, both Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are having to rely on a select cast of weapons.
Because of this, Mahomes and Allen are being asked to singlehandedly carry their teams to reach their ultimate goal this season. While they have been asked to take over for their squads beforehand, things are obviously different this season. Mahomes has been hurt by drops and penalties wiping out key conversions. As for Allen, the Buffalo signal caller has been affected by turnovers, in addition to missed reads by he and his offensive teammates.
For this Sunday and throughout the rest of the year, Mahomes and Allen will have to attempt to simplify things. Certain moments may call for being more aggressive to win a game. Yet, utilizing their dual-threat ability more often could benefit Mahomes and Allen. Whichever quarterback can trust in their full group of pass catchers more easily down the stretch can likely give their team a chance.
Which Offensive Approach Wins Out On Sunday?
Which offensive approach will win out on Sunday is going to be fascinating. In total, Buffalo has begun to run the football more often lately. The Bills have rushed over 25 times in each of the last three games. In the game before this stretch, Buffalo had only 16 carries against Cincinnati. At the same time, Isiah Pacheco has been a source of success for this up-and-down Chiefs offense. But in different games, Pacheco has not always received a lot of rushing attempts late.
If neither team looks to be fully balanced, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen could look to air it out in a different style. Allen could look to test the Chiefs deep. With how Kansas City struggled last week in that area, it would not be shocking if Buffalo did that. As for Mahomes and the Chiefs, they could look to quicker throws or the play action pass game to create open looks. Mahomes has not been able to connect with his receivers on as many deep passes as Allen has. But in the end, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen could both get a desperate win by relying on their playmakers to make some magic after the catch.
Be on the lookout for more FPC Chiefs articles and analysis throughout this week. For more great sports and NFL content, stay tuned to Full Press Coverage.
– Braden Holecek is the Kansas City Chiefs managing editor for Full Press Coverage. He covers the NFL. Like and follow on Follow @ebearcat9//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Follow @FPC_Chiefs//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js and Facebook.