Cowherd Compares Josh Allen to LeBron After 5-TD Win as Bills Open 2-0

Q: What hidden playoff history makes comparing Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen to NBA legends so controversial?

What makes the Mahomes-Jordan and Allen-LeBron comparison controversial is the playoff record between the two quarterbacks: Patrick Mahomes is 4-0 against Josh Allen in the postseason, including two AFC Championship Game wins and multiple season-ending losses for Buffalo. That undercuts the clean NBA analogy. Cowherd’s framing casts Allen as the more burdened, all-purpose star in the LeBron mold and Mahomes as the more decorated winner in the Jordan mold. But unlike the Jordan-LeBron debate, Mahomes has directly and repeatedly beaten Allen when it matters most. Kansas City has eliminated Buffalo in the 2020 AFC title game, the 2021 divisional classic, the 2023 divisional round, and the 2024 AFC Championship Game. The numbers deepen the tension. In those four playoff meetings, the Chiefs have outscored the Bills 139-113. Mahomes has thrown nine touchdown passes and no interceptions against Buffalo in the postseason. Allen has also played extremely well, with nine touchdown passes of his own in those matchups, which is why many see the Bills’ failures as more team-based than quarterback-based. That is why the NBA-legend comparison sparks debate: Allen’s individual brilliance supports the LeBron-style argument, but Mahomes owns the head-to-head playoff history, the way Jordan’s supporters often point to championships. In practical terms, Allen may carry more, but Mahomes has been the one ending Buffalo’s season.

2 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 18

Five touchdowns and 300-plus passing yards in Buffalo’s 41-31 win over Detroit pushed Josh Allen into record-setting territory through two weeks and prompted Colin Cowherd’s LeBron James comparison.
Cowherd argued Allen defines the Bills more than any single player defines his team, noting the quarterback has 308 total touchdowns since entering the NFL and already nine this season.
The host contrasted Allen with Patrick Mahomes—whom he likened to Michael Jordan—saying Allen carries a thinner supporting cast and often serves as Buffalo’s entire offensive fallback plan.
Buffalo’s 2-0 start leaves it atop the AFC East heading into a break before its Sept. 27 home game against the Chargers, time that could help injured receiver DJ Moore return from a shoulder issue.