Mahomes vs. Allen thriller goes live-wire as NFL results today shake playoff race
26.01.2026 - 12:04:32
Touchdown! As of today, 2026-01-26, the gridiron is on fire... The NFL results today just dropped a full slate of drama, with the headliner coming from Orchard Park where Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs out-dueled Josh Allen and the Bills in a fourth-quarter heart?attack special that’s already hijacked every NFL scores live feed.
The main event? Kansas City 31, Buffalo 27 — a game that swung like a pendulum and might end up as the turning point in this season’s playoff picture and Super Bowl news cycle.
Mahomes was in full playoff-mode assassin form. He shredded the Bills secondary for 328 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, looking every bit like the guy who lives for January football. He kept extending plays, sliding in the pocket, and ripping lasers on deep crossers. On the other side, Josh Allen wasn’t far behind, stacking up 304 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, and 1 interception — the kind of dual-threat box score that usually screams MVP-level, except that one pick absolutely flipped the game.
The turning point came with just under three minutes left. Buffalo led 27–24 and faced a 3rd-and-4 near midfield. Instead of leaning on the run, they trusted Allen’s arm. He tried to squeeze a dig route between the linebacker and safety — and L'Jarius Sneed jumped it. Massive interception, instant momentum swing. Arrowhead might be in Missouri, but you could feel that Chiefs energy all the way in Buffalo after that play.
Mahomes needed just five snaps to make Buffalo pay. He hit Travis Kelce for 17, then Rashee Rice on a nasty whip route for 11, Isiah Pacheco pounded inside for a chunk, and then the dagger: a 22-yard touchdown strike to Rice on a corner route against single high. Pure execution. That pushed him over the 300?yard mark and gave him his third TD toss of the day.
Allen still had a shot. Down 31–27 with 1:12 to go, no timeouts, he put together one of those vintage chaos drives — scrambling for 18 on 4th-and-10, ripping a sideline dart to Stefon Diggs for 19, and drawing a defensive holding that put Buffalo at the edge of the red zone. But the final sequence was brutal. With eight seconds left, Allen rolled right, tried to thread a back?shoulder ball to Gabe Davis at the front pylon, and it sailed just high. Game. Over. You could almost hear Bills Mafia’s collective soul leave the stadium.
If you’re scoreboard watching — and you should be — these NFL standings just became appointment viewing. Every Mahomes TD and every Allen interception just got a little more expensive in the playoff calculus.
Jump in there if you want every angle breakdown: slow?mo of the pick, alternate angles of the final incompletion, and endless split?screen comparisons of Mahomes’ calm vs. Allen’s frustration on the sideline.
That 3rd-and-4 pass call? I hate it. You’ve got the lead, the crowd, and a quarterback who’s already carried you all night — but the math of the moment screamed "burn some clock, force KC to burn time, then punt and make Mahomes go the length." Instead, Allen is forced into a tight?window throw, Sneed jumps it, and the game flips in about four real?time minutes. That call, not just the throw, changed everything.
On the flip side, Kansas City looked like the more composed, playoff?ready team. Mahomes was surgical, the defense came up clutch in the exact right moments, and the sideline didn’t flinch when they were down late in a hostile building. That’s Super Bowl?bound energy, and with the way the rest of the AFC is beating each other up, you can absolutely see this version of the Chiefs rolling all the way to February again.
As for Buffalo? They’re not done, but the margin for error in the standings is now razor?thin. Allen’s stat line is good enough to win most nights, but the interception and the misfire at the pylon are going to loop on highlight shows — and in his own head — all week.
If you’re trying to make sense of the chaos, you need to keep one eye on the field and one eye on the table.
The main event? Kansas City 31, Buffalo 27 — a game that swung like a pendulum and might end up as the turning point in this season’s playoff picture and Super Bowl news cycle.
Mahomes vs. Allen: Another Instant Classic
You wanted fireworks? You got a full-blown offensive fireworks show.Mahomes was in full playoff-mode assassin form. He shredded the Bills secondary for 328 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, looking every bit like the guy who lives for January football. He kept extending plays, sliding in the pocket, and ripping lasers on deep crossers. On the other side, Josh Allen wasn’t far behind, stacking up 304 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, and 1 interception — the kind of dual-threat box score that usually screams MVP-level, except that one pick absolutely flipped the game.
The turning point came with just under three minutes left. Buffalo led 27–24 and faced a 3rd-and-4 near midfield. Instead of leaning on the run, they trusted Allen’s arm. He tried to squeeze a dig route between the linebacker and safety — and L'Jarius Sneed jumped it. Massive interception, instant momentum swing. Arrowhead might be in Missouri, but you could feel that Chiefs energy all the way in Buffalo after that play.
Mahomes needed just five snaps to make Buffalo pay. He hit Travis Kelce for 17, then Rashee Rice on a nasty whip route for 11, Isiah Pacheco pounded inside for a chunk, and then the dagger: a 22-yard touchdown strike to Rice on a corner route against single high. Pure execution. That pushed him over the 300?yard mark and gave him his third TD toss of the day.
Allen still had a shot. Down 31–27 with 1:12 to go, no timeouts, he put together one of those vintage chaos drives — scrambling for 18 on 4th-and-10, ripping a sideline dart to Stefon Diggs for 19, and drawing a defensive holding that put Buffalo at the edge of the red zone. But the final sequence was brutal. With eight seconds left, Allen rolled right, tried to thread a back?shoulder ball to Gabe Davis at the front pylon, and it sailed just high. Game. Over. You could almost hear Bills Mafia’s collective soul leave the stadium.
Key Stats: QB Fireworks & RedZone Chaos
Let's hit some hard numbers from the top NFL results today and those quarterback stats you care about:- Patrick Mahomes (KC): 28/39, 328 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT; added 32 rushing yards on scrambles.
- Josh Allen (BUF): 26/41, 304 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 9 carries, 52 yards, 1 rushing TD.
- Isiah Pacheco (KC): 19 carries, 87 yards, 1 TD, plus 4 catches for 36 yards.
- Stefon Diggs (BUF): 8 receptions, 112 yards, 1 TD; constantly bracketed but still eating.
- Travis Kelce (KC): 7 catches, 84 yards; money on third downs all night.
- Lamar Jackson diced up coverage with over 250 passing yards and 70 on the ground in a balanced win that kept his team firmly in the AFC mix.
- Joe Burrow, still gutting it out post-injury, delivered a clean 2?TD, 0?INT performance that screamed "don't count us out yet" in the Wild Card race.
- Justin Jefferson put on a route?running clinic, racking up over 120 receiving yards and a highlight?reel toe-tap touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
How Tonight Shakes Up the NFL Standings
This one’s massive for the playoff picture. Kansas City’s win keeps them squarely in the hunt for top seeding in the AFC, while Buffalo suddenly finds itself fighting just to stay in the Wild Card pack. That single game swings tiebreakers, conference record, and maybe even the road to the Super Bowl running through Arrowhead instead of Orchard Park.If you’re scoreboard watching — and you should be — these NFL standings just became appointment viewing. Every Mahomes TD and every Allen interception just got a little more expensive in the playoff calculus.
What does this mean for the playoff race? Check the current NFL picture here
From tie-breakers to potential home?field advantage, that table shows exactly how daring fourth?down calls and red?zone picks are rewriting the postseason roadmap.Social Media Spotlight: Mahomes Magic or Allen Agony?
Right now, the internet is stuck on replay with that final Allen drive and the Sneed interception. Fans are roasting the decision to throw on 3rd-and-4, debating play?calling, and arguing over who's really the AFC's top dog heading into the stretch.The Internet is Exploding: 3 Social Media Highlights
X Discussion: Fans going wild over that late Sneed INT and the final Allen drive in #KCvsBUF
Beat Writer Take: This Felt Like a Statement
Let’s be real: this didn’t just feel like another regular-season thriller. This felt like a statement win from Kansas City and a gut-punch reminder to Buffalo that tiny mistakes against Mahomes are fatal.That 3rd-and-4 pass call? I hate it. You’ve got the lead, the crowd, and a quarterback who’s already carried you all night — but the math of the moment screamed "burn some clock, force KC to burn time, then punt and make Mahomes go the length." Instead, Allen is forced into a tight?window throw, Sneed jumps it, and the game flips in about four real?time minutes. That call, not just the throw, changed everything.
On the flip side, Kansas City looked like the more composed, playoff?ready team. Mahomes was surgical, the defense came up clutch in the exact right moments, and the sideline didn’t flinch when they were down late in a hostile building. That’s Super Bowl?bound energy, and with the way the rest of the AFC is beating each other up, you can absolutely see this version of the Chiefs rolling all the way to February again.
As for Buffalo? They’re not done, but the margin for error in the standings is now razor?thin. Allen’s stat line is good enough to win most nights, but the interception and the misfire at the pylon are going to loop on highlight shows — and in his own head — all week.
Closing Whistle: The Race Is Heating Up
NFL results today didn’t just give us crazy touchdown highlights — they rewired the seeding board. You've got Mahomes stacking MVP?worthy numbers, Allen balancing brilliance with heartbreak, Lamar and Burrow lurking, and Jefferson cooking DBs like it's a weekly ritual. Every drive from here on out feels like it carries playoff weight.If you’re trying to make sense of the chaos, you need to keep one eye on the field and one eye on the table.
See full NFL stats & standings
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