Los Angeles (AFP) - The latest instalment of Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen's rivalry takes center stage on Sunday as the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills meet once more in a repeat of last season's playoff classic.
Mahomes and Allen delivered a quarterback shoot-out for the ages in the divisional round last January, with Mahomes guiding the Chiefs to a breathless 42-36 overtime win at Arrowhead Stadium.
A bonkers final two minutes of regulation time saw no fewer than four lead changes as both sides combined for 25 points before Travis Kelce's winning touchdown in overtime settled a jaw-dropping encounter.
On current form, all the signs are that another high-scoring epic could well be on the cards this weekend, with the AFC rivals boasting the two most potent offenses in the league this season.
The Chiefs (4-1) have an NFL-high 159 points while the Bills (4-1) are just behind with 152 points.
The game may well be decided by defense, however.The Bills, who strengthened their defense in the off-season, have conceded just 61 points so far -- the joint lowest total in the league along with the San Francisco 49ers.The Chiefs by contrast have shipped an average of 25 points per game through five fixtures.
The fierce on-field rivalry between Allen and Mahomes masks a burgeoning friendship off the field.
'He can do it all'
The two NFL stars teamed up for an exhibition golf match earlier this year and spoke warmly of each other in press conferences this week.
"When you go up against the other great quarterbacks in the league, you always want to win," Mahomes said.
"You always want to compete.Josh is a great guy.He's a great quarterback – physically talented; he can throw, can run, he can really do it all.But he's a great dude too.
"Obviously, when we're on the football field, we are competing against each other, and we want to beat each other's teams, but I have a ton of respect for him, the player and person that he is."
Allen was equally effusive of his opposite number this week.
"As a football fan myself, you know, when I'm watching games, I love watching him play," Allen said of Mahomes.
"He's a fantastic player; he can do everything you want.His teammates love him, and I know he's got a good grasp on the locker room over there.
"He's just a special football player and a special guy, and yeah, anytime he's playing, I think people are watching."
Sunday marks the fifth time Mahomes and Allen have matched up.
Mahomes has finished on the winning side in three of the four previous encounters, with Allen leading the Bills to a notable 38-20 win over the Chiefs during the regular season in 2021.
Historical rivalry
Elsewhere on Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) could face the most significant test of their unbeaten start to the season when they host the Dallas Cowboys (4-1) in what is traditionally a fiercely contested divisional rivalry.
Meetings between the two NFC East rivals have been characterised by deep-rooted animosity through the years, and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy is bracing for a hostile reception when he leads his team into Lincoln Financial Field.
"It's going to be a great environment," McCarthy told reporters."Looking forward to the bus ride into the stadium.That's always unique.It's a division game in a rivalry with great history."
McCarthy insisted however that he is preoccupied with the here and now as he aims to give the Eagles a bloody nose.
"They're obviously off to an excellent start and that's where my mind is," he said.
If the Cowboys upset the Eagles, the NFC East could conceivably finish this weekend with three teams owning 5-1 records.
The New York Giants (4-1) look to build on their impressive start to the season when they host the dangerous Baltimore Ravens at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford.
The Giants pulled off an improbable 27-22 victory over the Green Bay Packers last weekend, the latest indication that new head coach Brian Daboll is overseeing a Giants renaissance after five straight seasons where the team failed to reach the playoffs.
"He lets us be ourselves," the Giants' veteran kicker Graham Gano said of Daboll."He lets us have fun.And as long as we're doing our job and playing and working to get better, he's going to let us play."
