Two titans of the football universe will clash on Sunday in quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, who will face off for the fifth time in their young careers. Any time these two quarterbacks take the field against one another you know that it's going to be an exciting game to watch, but although they might be rivals, each quarterback has respect for the other.

"Obviously, when we're on the football field, we're competing against each other and we want to beat each other's teams," said Mahomes. "But I have a ton of respect for him and the player and person that he is."

Whenever two great quarterbacks meet on the football field, there is always going to be a certain level of intensity throughout the game. Both players want to show the world who is better, and both know what is at stake each and every time they get to play against one another.

In fact, this has been a semi-annual matchup in each of the last two seasons. Kansas City defeated Buffalo in the regular season in 2020 before doing so once again in the AFC Championship Game that year. The Bills then got the better of the Chiefs in their regular-season meeting the following season, but Kansas City bested Buffalo in the Divisional Round of last year's playoffs in what many consider the greatest game ever played.

Both players are off to a tremendous start this season, too, as they've combined for 29 touchdown passes through five games. Kansas City and Buffalo respectively rank first and second in the NFL this year in terms of scoring, setting the stage for another potentially epic matchup.

Each of their previous meetings were played at a high level of competition and rivalry, but both Mahomes and Allen have shown immense respect and understanding of what the other has accomplished and will continue to accomplish.

"I love watching him play – he's a fantastic player. He can do everything you want," said Allen. "He's just a special football player and a special guy. His teammates love him, and I know he's got a good grasp of the locker room over there."

The respect that these two quarterbacks have for each other is inspiring, and even though they're competitors, they always try to complement each other on their skills and who they are as people.

It says a lot about who these two competitors are, and once the lights turn on, this matchup promises to be another classic in the making.