“Josh Allen Is Nowhere Close to Patrick Mahomes”: Ex-NFL Safety Vehemently Disagrees With Fox Sports’ Latest QB Rankings

Dec 10, 2023; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) talks with Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) after a game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Fox Sports recently released its list of the top 10 QBs heading into the season, and it got a lot of fans riled up. Especially the top of the list, where Josh Allen edged out Patrick Mahomes for the No. 1 spot. It prompted a former NFL veteran to speak out and explain why Mahomes is still at the top, and it’s not even close.

It’s honestly not too surprising to see Allen ranked number one over Mahomes. After all, he just won the MVP award. Also, Patrick’s stats haven’t been stellar the past 2 seasons compared to what he’s put up in the previous 5 before that. Despite continually winning games, most fans would agree that Allen has better stats and, with his rushing ability, seems like the more productive playmaker as of today.

But someone who would disagree with that notion is former NFL safety Will Blackmon. He believes it’s Mahomes who should still be viewed as the top dog, and that last year’s performance was just a temporary slip.

“Right now, Mahomes is still at the top of the mountain. Last year, he probably slipped real quick. He’s still on the mountain, he probably slipped on accident,” Blackmon said on The Facility.

It’s a possibility, for sure. Mahomes has shown he’s capable of leading the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns, like he did in 2018 and 2022. But a lack of reliable receiving options and a league-wide shift in defensive schemes have restrained him as of late. Mahomes essentially forced NFL teams to drop two safeties on nearly every play to prevent the deep pass from beating them. It’s called the Cover 2 shell.

However, Blackmon doesn’t just think Mahomes is still at the mountaintop as the best QB in the NFL. He thinks that it’s not even a discussion.

“Yes, what Josh Allen did, reigning MVP. I think he was about 80% of the total offensive production. Yes, he was pretty much the entire team. But when you really look at it, it’s not even close in terms of who’s the best quarterback. And it’s Patrick Mahomes by far,” Blackmon said.

“It’s not even close?” Emmanuel Acho questioned.

The statement had Acho completely puzzled. He couldn’t understand how Allen hasn’t proven that he at least belongs in the conversation for best in the league. So, Blackmon did his best to articulate why he felt that way. And he did it through a boxing example.

“When Mahomes goes against these quarterbacks, let’s say Lamar and Josh Allen, I look at this like a sparring match. They sparred. Josh might win some sparring matches, Lamar might win some. But when you get into the title fight, when it really matters, Mahomes wins,” Blackmon stated.

It’s hard to argue with this analogy. Mahomes always wins the big, important games. Whether it’s a regular-season prime-time matchup or an opportunity to go to the Super Bowl, he locks in when it matters most. His career regular season record of 89-23 ousts Allen’s 79-34, and his playoff record of 17-4 dwarfs that of the reigning MVP’s 7-6.

However, right now, it has to be Allen over Mahomes. Any fan watching can see that the latter hasn’t looked like his usual self over the past couple of seasons. Maybe it’s because we have high expectations, but regardless, he hasn’t met them statistically. Although he’s been able to maintain his winning ways throughout the statistical hiccups.

On the other hand, Allen has refined his game in a multitude of ways over the past couple of seasons. He’s rushing for more TDs, throwing fewer interceptions, and not fumbling as much. So, let’s give him his flowers for the time being and say he’s the best statistical QB in the league right now. But when it comes to winning, that’s still Mahomes’ moniker.