The Buffalo Bills have officially reached Chiefs Week, their now-annual regular-season meeting with Patrick Mahomes and their rivals from the AFC West.

The stakes are always high when the Kansas City Chiefs arrive on Buffalo’s schedule, but this year could be even more important as both teams have fallen out of the lead in their respective divisions. Bills quarterback Josh Allen is ready for the challenge, offering some big praise of his quarterback counterpart this week — and getting some love from Mahomes in return.

Josh Allen Needs to Raise His Game

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Allen shared praise for Mahomes and said the two-time MVP forces him to up his game.

“Anytime you’re playing against a good team and a good quarterback, you have to play at the top of your game in order to win a football game,” Allen said. “Not that you don’t go out there and try to play your best all the time, [but] there is a heightened sense of awareness to that of understanding who’s on the other side of the football. But yeah, you wanna go out there and our goal is to try to score on every drive and that’s what we try to do.”

Allen has had plenty of success against Mahomes in the regular season, leading the Bills to wins in each of the last four years, but the Bills are 0-4 against the Chiefs in the playoffs including a loss in last year’s AFC Championship.

The Bills come into this year’s game against the Chiefs 5-2, having recovered from back-to-back losses by blowing out the Carolina Panthers last week. The Chiefs started the season 0-2 but have since steadied the ship, getting top receiver Rashee Rice back from a six-game suspension and winning five of their last six games.

The loser of this week’s game could fall out of the playoffs entirely if the Jacksonville Jaguars win their game, underscoring the importance of this year’s contest.

Patrick Mahomes Returns the Favor

Mahomes also had plenty of good things to say about Allen, telling reporters that the reigning MVP is a nightmare for his team to defend. Mahomes added that he believes Allen is only improving and said the Bills quarterback forced him to be better.

“To be that size and to be able to move like that, he’s done so many great things as far as throwing the football,” Mahomes said. “The way he’s able to extend plays and be close to the sideline and make these big-time throws down the field, that stuff is special. He’s gotten better and better each and every year. I think that’s something that I’ve seen in him and something I try to do for myself as well. He’s a great football player.”

While their rivalry on the field has only gotten more heated, Mahomes and Allen have been on friendly terms away from the gridiron. The two teamed up for a televised golf match where they faced — and ultimately lost to — fellow star quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.