So impressed by Patrick Mahomes’ competitive fire at Texas Tech, former Kansas State Coach Bill Snyder sent him a personalized note. When he was the Kansas City Chiefs’ Offensive Coordinator, Eric Bieniemy called Mahomes “a competitive p- – – -.”

Mahomes’ competitiveness is legendary.

He’ll take any kind of slight — like the Chicago Bears passing on him in the 2017 NFL Draft after telling him they’d pick him — and use it as motivation. (He memorably counted to No. 10, where he was selected, after defeating them in 2019.)

So those noting Mahomes has never played in a true road playoff game in his 15 prior contests, almost suggesting he’s had to benefit from an advantageous path, could add fuel to the fire.

For what it’s worth, Mahomes downplayed having extra incentive as he prepares to play the Buffalo Bills in the divisional round on Sunday night.

“I’m excited for it because, I mean, it’s one of the best environments in football,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to play a lot of games at home at Arrowhead Stadium. It kind of just everything’s fell that way. But now we get the great opportunity to go on the road.”

Although it represents his first road playoff game, facing the Bills is nothing new for Mahomes.

This will be the seventh game between the Bills and Chiefs since the start of the 2020 season.

They have split the previous six, but the Chiefs have won both playoff games, including the memorable 42-36 contest in which the Chiefs sent the game into overtime on a remarkable field-goal drive with just 13 seconds left.

“We’ve played each other,” Mahomes said, “it seems like a hundred times over the last five years.”

The last two meetings have been Bills wins at Arrowhead Stadium, but the Chiefs actually have a better record on the road (6-2) than at home this season.

Mahomes credits that record to Head Coach Andy Reid keeping everyone on an even keel.

“That’s important on the road because it seems like one bad play is even magnified more, and a big play is magnified more,” he said. “Just staying with the process is something that Coach Reid preaches, and we do a great job of it.”

Reid’s Chiefs have ended the Bills’ 2020 and 2021 seasons.

So perhaps there is added motivation for Josh Allen too.

There’s certainly added intrigue because it matches two of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.

They also have similar contracts — at least in terms of average annual value. Mahomes’ average ranks eighth in the NFL, averaging $45 million on his 10-year, $450 million deal, and Allen’s ranks ninth, averaging $43 million on his six-year, $258 million contract.

The similarly-paid quarterbacks are also friends.

In fact, they were teammates at Capital One’s The Match. Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers defeated them, eking out the victory in the 12-hole, alternate shot, match play at the Wynn Golf Club in Paradise, Nev.

“When you compete against your friends, you almost want to win even more because of it,” Mahomes said. “Josh is a great dude. I respect the way he plays football and just the guy that he is. But it’s like when two guys that are ultracompetitive that are friends off the field go up against each other; we obviously both want to win. We know we see each other in the offseason, and you want to have a little bit of those bragging rights.”

Mahomes has faced his friend in the playoffs twice before, but Sunday’s game represents the first in Buffalo.

“The Bills are a great challenge,” Mahomes said. “We understand that we’re going to have to play our best football to win the game especially at their place.”