Who does Josh Allen think is the ‘greatest thrower’ in NFL history after Bills-Rams overtime thriller

Josh Allen walked out of SoFi Stadium with his first career overtime win Monday night. Matthew Stafford walked out with perhaps the strongest compliment one quarterback can give another.After the Buffalo Bills beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 on Oct. 12, Allen told ESPN that Stafford belongs in the conversation for the greatest pure thrower in NFL history. That praise came after Stafford threw for 383 yards and three touchdowns in the loss.Why does Josh Allen believe Matthew Stafford may be the greatest thrower in NFL history?HITC's Brogan Clasper highlighted Allen's comments on Oct. 13 after a game in which the two quarterbacks won in very different ways.Allen completed 12 of 19 passes for 210 yards and one touchdown. He did much of his damage with his legs, rushing for 121 yards and another score. Stafford leaned heavily on his arm and finished with nearly 400 passing yards.Allen came away impressed.“I’ve got an unbelievable amount of respect for Matthew [Stafford]. The way he plays the game, the way he’s always played it, he’s as tough as they come. I think if he’s not the greatest thrower of the football of all time, I don’t know who is. He spins it. He’s a competitor. He’s a guy that every quarterback just strives to be like,” Allen told ESPN after the game.That distinction matters. Allen did not call Stafford the greatest quarterback in NFL history. He specifically praised Stafford as a thrower of the football, which puts the focus on arm talent, ball placement and the ability to make difficult throws.The timing made the compliment even more interesting.Stafford entered Monday after an uneven opening stretch. He had thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions through the Rams' first four games, according to HITC. Against Buffalo, however, the 38-year-old looked far closer to the version Allen was describing.Stafford still lost the game.Buffalo survived 37-34 after Tyler Bass made a 45-yard field goal in overtime. Allen accounted for 331 total yards and two touchdowns while leading a Bills offense that found another way to win.The victory also ended a strange streak for Allen. He entered the night 0-7 in overtime games.“It’s the first OT that I’ve got, so this feels good being on this side [of a win],” Allen said afterward, according to PEOPLE.For Allen to spend part of that moment praising the quarterback he had just beaten says plenty about what he thought of Stafford's performance.How did Hailee Steinfeld’s rare appearance fit into Josh Allen’s first career overtime win?Allen also had his family watching from inside SoFi Stadium.PEOPLE reported on Oct. 13 that Hailee Steinfeld attended the game and watched from a suite as Buffalo completed the overtime win. Steinfeld, 29, and Allen, 30, married in May 2025 and welcomed their daughter, Harper, in April.Steinfeld typically attends Allen's games without drawing much attention from television cameras, according to PEOPLE. Her appearance Monday was therefore a relatively rare public one.She watched Allen produce one of the game's biggest late plays. With Buffalo trying to score in the final two minutes of regulation, Allen scrambled 15 yards up the middle and reached the Rams' 5-yard line.The Bills eventually needed overtime, where an early James Cook fumble threatened to extend Allen's winless overtime record. Buffalo recovered, and Bass later converted the deciding field goal.Allen admitted his passing rhythm was not there early.“Just didn’t feel like I was in a rhythm [early], wasn’t taking some of the underneath stuff. Fighting mechanically some stuff right now that I’m working on,” Allen said, per ESPN. “But I felt like in that second half I got into a rhythm. Guys made some plays. It’s awesome stuff.”That made Allen's Stafford comments stand out even more.Allen left Los Angeles with the win. Stafford left with the better passing line. And according to Allen, perhaps an even bigger title.Stay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.