by Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are redefining what it means to be a quarterback in the NFL.
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In just a few short years, the two young stars have taken the league by storm with their dual-threat skills, high-powered offenses, and ability to will their teams to victory. While different in some aspects of their game, Mahomes and Allen share an elite talent level, competitive fire, and penchant for making highlight-reel plays that are transforming the quarterback position.
Dual-Threat Ability
At the core of Mahomes and Allen’s game-changing abilities is their rare combination of arm talent and athleticism. Both quarterbacks possess rocket arms capable of making any throw on the field. However, what truly sets them apart is their speed, elusiveness, and willingness to use their legs when the situation calls for it.
Allen, in particular, relies heavily on his scrambling skills. At 6-foot-5 and 237 pounds, he is a load to bring down once he tucks the ball and takes off. Allen has rushed for over 500 yards in each of the last two seasons and 12 touchdowns on the ground over that span. His combination of size, speed and power makes him a nightmare for defenses to handle when he escapes the pocket.
While not quite as physically imposing as Allen, Mahomes is equally dangerous when he decides to run. At just over 200 pounds, Mahomes may not overpower defenders, but he shows deceptive quickness and elusiveness to pick up key first downs with his legs. In 2020, he rushed for 308 yards and two scores, often scrambling to extend plays until receivers came open downfield.
The mobility these two bring to the position keeps defenses constantly guessing. Do they commit to covering receivers or try to spy the quarterback? This dilemma makes designing game plans against Mahomes and Allen extremely challenging. It also allows their respective offensive coordinators, Eric Bieniemy and Brian Daboll, to implement more mobile-quarterback friendly schemes like designed QB runs and rollouts.
High-Powered Offenses
Because of their rare physical tools and willingness to take risks, Mahomes and Allen are the perfect quarterbacks to run modern, aggressive offensive systems. Both the Chiefs and Bills unleash explosive, high-scoring attacks built around the strengths of their dual-threat signal callers.
Under Bieniemy, Kansas City famously pioneered the aerial shootout style of offense. With Mahomes’ howitzer arm and improvisational skills, the Chiefs stretch the field both vertically and horizontally on every play. Mahomes is given full autonomy at the line of scrimmage to check into the best possible play based on the defense’s alignment. This puts extreme pressure on opposing secondaries and allows Mahomes to capitalize on mismatches before they even materialize.
Buffalo’s offense under Daboll shares some similarities. Allen is also put in positions to diagnose coverages pre-snap and change plays when necessary. The Bills also use Allen’s big arm to attack all levels of the field and his legs on designed QB runs to keep defenses guessing. However, Buffalo’s offense relies slightly more on a power running game to set up explosive play-action passes downfield off Allen’s play fakes.
Regardless of minor schematic differences, the end result is the same with both offenses – a high-octane attack that scores points in bunches. With Mahomes and Allen under center, no lead is ever safe as they are capable of erasing deficits in the blink of an eye through the air or on the ground. This brand of high-risk, high-reward football has made the Chiefs and Bills must-see TV on a weekly basis.
Leadership
Beyond their prodigious physical gifts and statistical production, Mahomes and Allen have emerged as true franchise cornerstone players because of their leadership intangibles. Both quarterbacks exude an infectious confidence and competitive fire that permeates their entire locker rooms.
At just 26, Mahomes is already a veteran presence for the Chiefs. Teammates have praised his ability to stay cool under pressure and lead dramatic comebacks even when the odds seem insurmountable. His work ethic and preparation habits have also rubbed off on the rest of the roster. It’s no coincidence that Kansas City has maintained a high level of sustained success with Mahomes as the driving force and face of the franchise.
Allen has followed a similar trajectory in Buffalo. After some early career ups and downs, Allen has grown into the unquestioned alpha male of the Bills’ locker room in just his fifth NFL season at age 26. Players around the league have taken notice of Allen’s will to win and ability in clutch situations. The Bills have become one of the AFC’s elite teams because Allen refuses to let his team lose. Both on and off the field, he sets the standard for work, leadership, and competitive zeal that others have no choice but to follow.
Friendly Rivalry
While their respective talents and leadership styles have propelled Mahomes and Allen to the upper echelon of NFL quarterbacks, their budding rivalry has provided added intrigue. Over the past few seasons, the Chiefs and Bills have emerged as the two best teams in the AFC. This has led to some epic showdowns between the two young stars and created one of the NFL’s most exciting new rivalries.
Their first high-profile matchup came in 2020, when Allen led the Bills to a dramatic 26-17 victory over the defending champion Chiefs in Buffalo. A year later, Mahomes got revenge by outdueling Allen in a classic 38-20 shootout in Kansas City. Most recently, their 2022 playoff clash saw the Chiefs prevail in overtime thanks to a gutsy performance from Mahomes.
Through it all, Mahomes and Allen have maintained a relationship of mutual respect. They’ve trained together in the offseason, even participating in a charity basketball game. While they fiercely compete whenever their teams face off, there is no real animosity between the two. Fans have also embraced the budding rivalry as a refreshing change of pace from some past bitter quarterback feuds in the league.
Rather than letting egos get in the way, Mahomes and Allen seem to genuinely enjoy spurring each other to greater heights. They’ve acknowledged how pushing each other in high-leverage games serves to improve their individual games as well. With both still under 30 years old, this quarterback rivalry looks poised to dominate the AFC for years to come.
Differences in Style
For all the similarities in their elite talent levels and impact on winning, Mahomes and Allen do have some contrasting qualities to their games. Mahomes is known industry-wide as a precision passer with uncanny accuracy on all levels of the field. He can make pinpoint throws even when under heavy duress, often completing improbable passes with amazing touch.
Allen, meanwhile, wins more with his sheer physical tools than surgical precision. He possesses a cannon for an arm that can make throws no other quarterback can replicate. Allen isn’t as consistent as Mahomes from the pocket. But his ability to create off-script with his legs or just overpower defenders with velocity makes him a unique challenge.
Mahomes also tends to succeed more so with improvisation, changing plays pre-snap or extending them with his feet. Allen, on the other hand, has made strides reading defenses post-snap but still leans on his athletic dominance more than pre-snap diagnostics.
While different stylistically, both approaches get the job done at an elite level. And their variations mean defenses must prepare differently for each quarterback. It’s a testament to their greatness that despite employing contrasting strengths, Mahomes and Allen are setting the new gold standard at the NFL’s most important position.
New Era at Quarterback
With their otherworldly talent, leadership intangibles, and magnetic personalities, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen have firmly established themselves as the faces of the NFL for years to come. Through their dynamic play and budding rivalry, they are singlehandedly transforming what the quarterback position has traditionally meant.
No longer must quarterbacks just be pocket passers—Mahomes and Allen prove the position’s best can win with both their arms and legs. Game management is still important, but taking risks and making splash plays is equally rewarded. And franchise quarterbacks must exhibit the it-factor to will their teams to fourth quarter comebacks as much as statistical production.
By embracing new dual-threat concepts on offense and redefining clutch play, Mahomes and Allen are taking the quarterback position to another level. In doing so, they’ve made the Chiefs and Bills models of sustained success while also increasing excitement across the entire league. With both stars still under 30, their revolution is only beginning. Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen give fans hope that this new era of special quarterback play has many more highlight reels still to come.
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