Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen should want to face each other just as much as NFL fans want them to, because, according to Jim Nantz, they need each other.
Nantz joined Adam Schein’s Mad Dog Sports Radio show on SiriusXM Tuesday morning to preview Sunday’s matchup between the Mahomes-led Kansas City Chiefs and Allen’s Buffalo Bills on CBS. And when asked to describe what makes this matchup so special, Nantz played the hits.
“They need one another,” Nantz said of Mahomes and Allen. “If you look at great rivalries in sport, Magic needed Bird. Jack and Arnie needed one another. Brady needed Manning, and Peyton needed Tom. It goes with the territory, and they bring out the best in one another.”
As for those who want to point to Allen’s 0-4 playoff record against Mahomes as a counterpoint to their mutually beneficial relationship, Nantz was quick to defend the reigning NFL MVP, noting he “played brilliantly” in those matchups.
“The two are going to be linked well beyond their playing years. It will always be part of the story and part of the legacy for each one of them, the fact that they tangled against the other,” Nantz continued to Schein. “They’re still young enough. This has got a lot of legs. Don’t forget: I think it was 17 times that Manning and Brady met, and four of them were in the AFC Championship… this reminds me, in many ways, of that. And we’ve been fortunate at CBS that we’re the AFC network by definition.”
Some have argued that Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are more of the modern-day Brady-Manning than Mahomes and Allen. But Mahomes and Jackson have only met once in the playoffs, while the Chiefs have ended Allen’s season four times.
Nantz is right. Mahomes and Allen need each other. Every great player needs a great adversary and rivalry to add to their legacy. But Allen still needs a playoff win over Mahomes. Yes, Allen has had some epic individual performances against Kansas City, but an O-fer head-to-head in the playoffs will ultimately be a blemish on his legacy.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com