On-field behavior separates Patrick Mahomes from Josh Allen

Every year there seems to be a new challenger to Patrick Mahomes when it comes to the question, “Who is the best quarterback in the game?” Usually, that player, like Lamar Jackson or Aaron Rodgers, has ultimately won the MVP that season. This year, the challenger is Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.

Allen began the season playing great. Just as he has the last two seasons. His ‘evolution’ from a questionable quarterback his first season or two, to becoming one of the best has been the talk of the town for quite a while now. Most analysts believe(d) that Allen can finally lead Buffalo to a Super Bowl win.

But the past two games (losses for the Bills, wins for the Kansas City Chiefs) have highlighted an interesting crack in the conversation about which quarterback is the best: on-field behavior.

Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen are often compared as the best quarterbacks in the game. But the determining factor comes down to behavior, not play.

Simply put, when Allen gets frustrated, makes a mistake, or things don’t go the Bills’ way, he acts out. He throws his helmet. He screams. He yells. He pouts. Some call it passion, I call it childish.

We don’t see Mahomes do that. We occasionally see Travis Kelce do that, and Kelce naturally looks foolish (as much as fans may find it funny or relatable). But Mahomes doesn’t. Even when he makes mistakes, he stays calm. He hypes his team up and he’s always thinking about how the team can win. And they usually do.

The truth is, I think Josh Allen is a great football player, but I don’t think he’s as good as he looks. And maybe he knows that. Earlier this week I was listening to the Doug Gottlieb Show and he had a guest on that said something like, “Josh Allen (and the Bills) go pedal-to-the-medal, no foot off the gas, all the time. And it works. Until it doesn’t.”

I have to agree. I think the offense accents Allen’s gifts well and allows them to go high-speed almost all the time. NFL defenses can barely keep up. But that speed also covers up Allen’s mistakes. The thing with driving 150 miles per hour is that, while you may win the race, if (and when) you crash, you crash hard. And Josh Allen has shown that in the last two weeks.

With his multiple red zone turnovers, it was clear that Allen was being exposed. And he couldn’t handle it. He (predictably) threw a fit.

Mahomes on the other hand, always feels in control, because he acts in control—even during his worst games. When being beaten, it doesn’t feel like Mahomes is being “exposed.” Because there isn’t much to expose. He truly is great, and people who know they are great don’t have to throw a tantrum when they get beat or are getting beat.

Do you remember when Mahomes had one of his worst games in the Super Bowl? He didn’t feel defeated, because he didn’t act defeated. He remained calm, rallied his team, and stun the San Francisco 49ers like a wasp. That’s what great leaders do.

Even the next year, when the Chiefs got beat badly in the Super Bowl, Mahomes remained undeterred. He put on probably the greatest quarterback performance in a losing effort in Super Bowl history.

Now some might say, “Josh Allen is acting just like the GOAT.” True. Tom Brady notoriously throws fits when he’s frustrated or not getting his way. RIP to all the tablets he’s slammed to the ground the past few seasons.

But let’s be real, nobody (or maybe just me) sees that behavior as anything other than Tom Brady is a big baby. He notoriously won’t shake his opponent’s hands when he loses. He cries for (and gets) ridiculous roughing the passer calls. He gets what he wants and everyone knows it.

Speaking of getting what he wants, didn’t something similar happen to Josh Allen after last season? I suppose the changing of the overtime rule was out of his control, but it still happened. It still benefited him. And people associate the rule change with, “The NFL giving Allen and the Bills what they wanted after they threw a fit.”

When it comes to an NFL quarterback, I want a field general who is calm, collected, cerebral, cunning, and comfortable knowing themselves and their team. Not one who loses his cool when he’s exposed, thanks aren’t going his way, or he’s just being flat our embarrassed. And that’s why I think Patrick Mahomes is a better quarterback than Josh Allen.