Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes meet for the 10th time since 2020, but the stakes feel different now. What was once the AFC’s defining rivalry has shifted in a changing landscape.

Dan Patrick, on his show, hinted that the Bills have had success over the Chiefs in the regular season. The same can’t be said about the playoffs, where Mahomes’ squad beat them 4 times. So does the rivalry exist? Ex-Bills player Ross Tucker explained that the rivalry can only exist if Allen can beat them in the postseason.

“I do agree,” he said as he went on to compare the situation between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts. “The Colts would win the regular season matchup sometimes, but then in the playoffs, when it mattered, New England would just always find a way to get it done,” he said on The Dan Patrick Show. Sounds a lot like the situation with the Bills and Chiefs?

Tucker continued on the Bills, “I thought maybe that would be the case with the Bills in the postseason last year. I thought it was a great opportunity. They weren’t able to do it, you know, and on some token, you know, do you know the Bills have beaten the Chiefs in the regular season every year but one and then the Chiefs beat the Bills in the playoffs.” Stating it will take a lot more from the Bills to defeat the Chiefs.

Tucker later said that they have to win the regular-season matchup, too. “The Bills now have competition in their own division.” Said Tucker. “They haven’t had it in a while. And now they’re going to be fighting, you know, tooth and nail to the death now against the New England Patriots. So they can’t afford to lose this game and say we’ll beat them in the playoffs. You lose this game, now you’re looking up even further at the Patriots in the standings.”

So, Allen needs a playoff win to make this rivalry real. That’s exactly how most fans feel. But as Tucker explained, the Bills now face the challenge of a must-win playoff. If they lose, they’ll fall even further behind the New England Patriots, who currently sit atop the AFC East.

And the Bills QB isn’t behind on the work. During his recent interview, Allen admitted that Mahomes motivates him to work harder and play better whenever they face off on the field. The Bills were handed a 32-29 defeat in the AFC Championship at Arrowhead Stadium in January. He will look to turn the tables this time.

While he agreed that the emotion is the same in every game, there’s a “heightened sense of awareness to that of understanding” of his opponent.

“You wanna go out there, and our goal is to try to score on every drive, and that’s what we try to do,” he said.

Mahomes spoke highly of the 2024 NFL MVP season before explaining what makes their game against the Bills tricky.

What does Patrick Mahomes think about the Bills vs. Chiefs rivalry

Heading into Week 9, Mahomes sounded more cautious than confident. He knows the Bills too well to underestimate them. Every season, they tweak something new, and it’s that unpredictability that keeps this rivalry sharp.

It’s not just Allen and the Bills sweating over the game. Mahomes is equally aware of the competition and what’s at stake.

“It’s just a lot of great football players that we’re going up against,” Mahomes said. “And we know it’s going to take our best football. I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from this rivalry is that it’s going to be one play here or there that’s going to change the outcome. You have to go out there and make it.” Mahomes does look at it as a rivalry.

After a slow and underwhelming start, the Chiefs also cannot afford a loss. Head coach Andy Reid explained that winning the turnover battle will be key in the game. On the other hand, Mahomes will need to make a few big plays as the team eyes its sixth win of the season.