Josh Allen threw 35 fewer passes than Matthew Stafford on Monday night, for 173 fewer yards, and walked off SoFi Stadium with the win. Then he spent his postgame making the case that the other guy is the best pure passer who has ever lived.
The two met at midfield before overtime. Afterward, Allen told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge what he thinks of Stafford, and he did not hedge much.
What Allen Said
“I’ve got an unbelievable amount of respect for Matthew,” Allen said. “The way he plays the game, the way he’s always played it. He’s as tough as they come.”
Then the line that traveled: “If he’s not the greatest thrower of the football of all time, I don’t know who is.”
At the podium a few minutes later, asked again, Allen backed off by exactly one slot. “In my opinion, if he’s not the greatest thrower of the football, he’s No. 2.” He also called Stafford “a guy who every quarterback should strive to be like.”
The Argument Is Better Than It Sounds
Allen is 30 and has an MVP and a decade of evidence that he is one of the five best quarterbacks alive. He does not need to flatter anyone. He is also specifically not saying Stafford is the best quarterback, which is a different claim. He is saying Stafford throws a football better than anyone.
Monday supports it. Stafford, 38, went 40-of-54 for 383 yards and three touchdowns without an interception, a 74.1 percent completion rate on 54 attempts. He leads the NFL in attempts, completions and passing yards this season, with 1,572 yards, nine touchdowns and six interceptions through five games.
Puka Nacua caught 17 passes for 138 yards. Davante Adams caught two touchdowns. The Rams scored five times, gained 454 yards and did not turn it over.
And Allen Still Won
This is the part that makes the compliment land harder. Allen went 12-of-19 for 210 yards with a touchdown and a pick, then ran 10 times for 121 yards and a score. He has 239 rushing yards and a league-leading eight rushing touchdowns through five games, on top of 1,249 passing yards and seven passing scores.
His 87 career rushing touchdowns rank 16th all time, three short of tying Eric Dickerson and Curtis Martin. He is a quarterback who wins games with a skill set Stafford has never had and never needed.
In overtime, Allen hit Khalil Shakir for 57 yards, then ran for 19 and 13 on the drive that set up Tyler Bass’s 45-yard winner. Buffalo is 4-1.
Two Ways to Be Great
Stafford threw the ball better on Monday and lost. Allen did more with less and won. Both things are true, and Allen said the first part out loud without being asked to be generous about it.
The Bills are 4-1 with the quarterback who can do everything. The Rams are 2-3 with the quarterback who can make every throw. On Monday night the difference was a blocked field goal.
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.