Two days ago, NFL analyst Sam Bonson made headlines over a bold claim: “Josh Allen is now better than Patrick Mahomes.” But the debate didn’t end there. Recently, Chris Simms had added fuel to the fire by ranking Mahomes No. 4 and Allen No. 2 in his top ten quarterback list. Based on these assessments, it’s fair to argue that a growing number of analysts now consider Allen superior to Mahomes.
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But what is the reality? While Allen captured his first MVP award last season, Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to the Super Bowl, where they ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. From one perspective, Allen claimed the individual honor, whereas Mahomes won the team battle. But is that the whole story?
Speaking on That Football Podcast, analyst Matt Verderame pushed back against the rising narrative that Allen has overtaken Mahomes. He put it bluntly: “To rank Mahomes No. 1 is either because you are bored or blind.” Verderame argued that despite the MVP title, Mahomes was statistically better than Allen during the 2024 season.
“Mahomes threw for more yards than Josh Allen did last year. Mahomes threw for like 200 yards more than Josh Allen,” he pointed out. His comments left co-host Tucker Franklin visibly surprised: “I’m genuinely blown away by that. Legitimately—3,731 yards, 28 touchdowns, 6 interceptions.”
Mahomes, in comparison to Allen, logged 3,928 passing yards, 26 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 16 games, finishing with a passer rating of 93.5. Statistically speaking, Mahomes edged out Allen in total yardage, though Allen had the edge in touchdown-to-interception ratio. Still, Verderame didn’t stop at raw numbers.
He pointed to two statstical reasons why Mahomes is still the better quarterback than Allen, in addition to last season’s superior stats: 1). Mahomes’ playoff dominance over Allen. 2). Mahomes’ five Super Bowl appearances (including three wins) in comparison to Allen’s zero appearances.
“I don’t understand the argument that Allen has all of a sudden usurped him. How? Because he won the MVP? How did Allen’s season end last year? Losing to Mahomes for the fourth time in five years. At some point, it does matter that when these two guys face each other in big moments, Mahomes beats him every time. Home. Away. Makes no difference,” Verderame explained.
It’s a compelling point. While Allen holds a 4–1 record against Mahomes in the regular season, he remains winless in playoff matchups (0-4). Evidently, Mahomes, known for thriving under pressure, has consistently outshined Allen as well as the highly-rated Lamar Jackson in high-stakes games.
However, Allen’s regular-season record can’t be ignored. If he continues to perform at a supreme level and eventually cracks the postseason code, he could certainly flip the narrative. But as it stands, Mahomes’ Super Bowl resume and clutch performances continue to set him apart.
