Firebaugh product Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes engage in NFL duel for the ages

Josh Allen’s improbable NFL playoff performance Sunday should have propelled his Buffalo Bills into the AFC Championship game.

Only Patrick Mahomes was on the other side.

Allen, the Firebaugh High and Reedley College product led the Bills to two go-ahead touchdowns in the final two minutes, the last with 13 seconds left. It stamped the fourth-year quarterback as one of the NFL’s premier clutch players—as if that needed proving.

Watching from a suite at Arrowhead Stadium were 38 of Allen’s family and friends.

But Mahomes got the Kansas City Chiefs in position for an overtime-forcing field goal then led them on a touchdown drive to start overtime and a 42-36 victory. Thanks to NFL rules, the touchdown ended the game and negated the chance to see if Allen could engineer one more miracle.

The Chiefs play the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at noon for a berth in the Super Bowl. Mahomes has led the Chiefs to four straight AFC title games and two Super Bowls.

The San Francisco 49ers play the Los Angeles Rams at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in the NFC Championship game.

Allen was 27 of 37 for 329 yards and four touchdowns and had 11 rushes for 68 yards in an impressive all-around game. Mahomes was 33 of 44 for 378 yards and three touchdowns.