Josh Allen is one of the most talented quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, but he is yet to make it to the Super Bowl.
Despite leading the Buffalo Bills to five consecutive AFC East titles and six playoff appearances, the team’s postseason journey has become defined by its inability to clear the final hurdles of the AFC playoffs. Allen’s overall playoff record sits at 7-6, but that success has consistently failed to translate into a Super Bowl berth.
The primary obstacle to the Bills' success has been the Kansas City Chiefs, who have eliminated Buffalo in four of the last five postseasons, including two AFC Championship Games. While Allen’s personal statistics in those matchups are excellent, his standout play has not been enough to overcome Patrick Mahomes’ dynasty. This repeated failure against their main rival has put a blemish on Allen's NFL legacy.
The cumulative effect of these repeated exits has left the franchise and its quarterback with a painful reputation for falling short. Despite being hailed as a physically gifted, dual-threat superstar who has broken numerous franchise records, Allen is now tied with former Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers for the most playoff wins without an appearance in the Super Bowl. For the Bills, the ultimate goal remains unfinished, casting a shadow over what is otherwise one of the most dominant eras in team history.
Here's more about Allen and Buffalo's playoff performances.
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Josh Allen playoff record
| Year | Playoff Record | Result |
| 2019 | 0-1 | L, Wild Card vs. Texans |
| 2020 | 2-1 | L, AFC Championship vs. Chiefs |
| 2021 | 1-1 | L, Divisional vs. Chiefs |
| 2022 | 1-1 | L, Divisional vs. Bengals |
| 2023 | 1-1 | L, Divisional vs. Chiefs |
| 2024 | 2-1 | L, AFC Championship vs. Chiefs |
| Total | 5-5 | -- |
Allen has played in 10 playoff games so far in his career. It started rough in 2019 when he and the Bills lost in the wild card round to the Texans. Allen rebounded and took a step forward in his progression the next year, leading Buffalo to wins over Indianapolis and Baltimore in the first two rounds of the playoffs. The Bills' momentum ended with a 38-24 loss to the Chiefs in the championship round.
This was the start of a postseason rivalry against Kansas City. It has been admittedly one-sided so far as the Chiefs have knocked the Bills out of the playoffs in three of the last four seasons.
Buffalo has had success surviving the wild card round, making it to the divisional round in four straight seasons.
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Josh Allen playoff stats
- Games: 13
- Record: 7-6
- Pass Attempts: 460
- Pass Completions: 302
- Completion Percentage: 65.7%
- Passing Yards: 3,359
- Passing TDs: 25
- Interceptions: 4
- Sacks: 28
- Carries: 112
- Rushing Yards: 668
- Rushing TDs: 7
Allen is right on track with his completion percentage and passing touchdown to interception ratio, but his playoff stats are inflated from a few blowout wins over teams.
Allen's 3,359 yards in the playoffs rank fifth among active players, trailing Joe Flacco, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. He ranks behind the same four players with 25 touchdowns.
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Josh Allen playoff stats vs Chiefs
What also stands out is Allen's performance against the Kansas City Chiefs in the postseason. Though he is 0-4 against Mahomes and co. in the playoffs, Allen's stats are exceptional. He averages nearly 260 yards a game and has thrown nine touchdowns to one interception. He has not thrown a pick since his first matchup.
Here are his individual game logs and the results.
| Date | Round | Location | Result | Comp / Att (Comp%) | Passing Yards | Passing TDs | Interceptions | Rushing Yards | Rushing TDs |
| Jan 24, 2021 | AFC Championship | Arrowhead Stadium | L, 24–38 | 28 / 48 (58.3%) | 287 | 2 | 1 | 88 | 0 |
| Jan 23, 2022 | AFC Divisional | Arrowhead Stadium | L, 36–42 (OT) | 27 / 37 (73.0%) | 329 | 4 | 0 | 68 | 0 |
| Jan 21, 2024 | AFC Divisional | Highmark Stadium | L, 24–27 | 26 / 39 (66.7%) | 186 | 1 | 0 | 72 | 2 |
| Jan 26, 2025 | AFC Championship | Arrowhead Stadium | L, 29–32 | 22 / 34 (64.7%) | 237 | 2 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
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