The question absolutely nobody was asking...but would probably like to know.
If 2 of the best quarterbacks in football went head to head in a game of Pong, would Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes win?
Well the team at LowerShelf looked into the statistics so you don't have to.
For those of you who do not know, Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are both quarterbacks in the National Football League (NFL).
The two players have been measured against one another continually since they have entered the league for their athletic ability and competitive success. Josh and Patrick's ability to run, throw, and even catch in circumstances, has been marveled by NFL analysts, fans, and players alike.
But the question remains, does making you a great NFL quarterback translate to the Pong table?
We're going to break down the results for you in 3 parts. The first comparison being their overall athletic ability, the second comparison will be their social lives, and their 3rd comparison will be their NFL success.
Contents:
If you already know how to play, feel free to skip this part!
Pong started as a party game, but has transitioned to a universally known game. There are numerous variations including Hide and Seek, Rule Pong, or Relay that are just, if not more, fun! The nature of the game Pong is what makes it so enjoyable. It is easy to learn, quick to set up, and anybody can play.
Goal of the game Pong:
At it's most basic form, in order to win the game, 2 teams will go head to head, and try to remove all of their opponents cups.
In order to actually remove opponents cups, players will be throwing a pong ball across a table and attempting to land it into a cup. When a ball is thrown into a cup successfully, the cup is removed from the game.
When all of the cups have been removed from the opposing team, you win!
Materials for the game Pong:
As far as players, the game is suggested at 2-4. Obviously if you have 4 players, split into 2 teams of 2
In addition to yourselves, you will need 12 cups. These cups can be plastic or whatever you have in your house. The game also requires 1 or 2 pong balls (2 pong balls would be preferred), and a table.
The game is most commonly played on a plastic folding table you can find at any Home Depot or Walmart, but truthfully any rectangular table will get the job done.
Setup for the game Pong:
The first step is to setup two cup triangles on each end of the table. Meaning it would be 3 cups touching the edge of the table, then 2 cups touching those cups, and then 1 cup touching those cups to represent a triangle or a pyramid.
Then you need to fill each cup with enough water so they don't fall over when a pong ball strikes them.
We suggest about 1/3 of each cup to be filled with water. If you add too much water, the ball can bounce out of the cups easily, and also makes a mess with the splashes.
Directions for the game Pong:
Now's the fun part! As briefly mentioned above, Have Team 1 start with the pong balls.
Team 1 will take 2 throws across the table and into their opponent's cups. If you have 2 players on your team, each player will take 1 throw.
After Team 1 is done with their 2 throws, Team 2 will do the same.
And the game continues until a team is able to make all of their opponent's cups and win!
Rules for the game Pong:
There are actually a lot of nuances added to the game of Pong since its creation. Most of the rules are dependent on the people playing, also known as "House Rules."
But as far as our site goes, we'll break down the rules based on the game submission we got from Shelfer, Bridget.
Scoring:
If a cup is made from a throw, it only removes 1 cup. However, if a ball is bounced off the table and made into a cup, it removes 2 cups from the opposing team.
With that being said, if a ball is bounced, the opposing team can play defense by knocking the ball away.
Balls Back:
If a team makes 2 throws in a single turn, the 2 cups are removed, and the team gets to re-throw their pong balls to try and make more cups!
Also if a single player is able to make their throw in 3 consecutive turns, this is known as being "On Fire." And the single player will get the ball back to re-throw until they miss.
Reracks:
A rerack is basically a rearranging of the cups. During the game, as cups are made and removed, the pyramid of cups starts resemble a slice of swiss cheese.
If a team is struggling to make cups, they can ask to "rerack" their cups. This means they will say a shape such as "Diamond" and rearrange the remaining cups into the shape of a diamond, or whichever shape they choose.
Teams only get 1 rerack, but if there are 1 or 2 cups remaining, it is courtesy for the opposing team to center and touch the last cups to the edge of the table.
Overtime:
If the teams both make their last cups, the game can go to overtime. Meaning 3 cups are set back up for each team, and the game continues.
Double overtime has 3 cups set back up, and 4th cup placed strategically on top for the game to continue.
Would Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes Win?
Athletic Ability
Allen -1 Cups
The 1st comparison we are going to look at for the 2 players will be their respective athletic ability. This aspect really came down to their NFL Combine Results, their current build, and their abilities in other sports.
The NFL Combine is no joke. Coaches, General Managers and organizations use the statistics from the combine to try and make generational change for their football teams. All of us at LowerShelf, are taking it just as seriously. See below in the images to see how each player did.
Josh Allen:
Patrick Mahomes:
The Combine, while important, is a little dated. So taking a look at each individual player we'll break down what they are measuring in at today.
Josh Allen:
Patrick Mahomes:
Additional Sporting Achievements:
Being able to play more than one sport and be successful, shows versatility. It also proves a better chance to adapt to change, which is essential on a pong table.
Josh Allen:
According to Lines, Josh Allen was an absolute monster in High School. He posted absolute nonsensical numbers on the football field, as expected, but seemingly everywhere else too.
They state Josh was the leading scorer on his basketball team at Firebaugh High School, and also dabbled into the baseball diamond. Clocking in some pitches at nearly 90 MPH!
It looks like his extracurriculars ended though, in his pursuit to football, and stopped playing any other sports when he hit college at Wyoming.
Patrick Mahomes:
In Britannica's bio of Mr. Mahomes, they break down his early life and athletic success outside of football. Patrick was an exceptional basketball and baseball player as well, with baseball taking most of the notice. He was said to have a 93 MPH fastball at Whitehouse High School and batted .450.
Being drafted is pretty special for any athlete, but he was drafted in not only football, but the MLB as well. The success earned him scholarships for football and baseball in college, but after an unsuccessful 1st season, baseball went to the back burner en lieu of football.
Who has the Edge?
We ended up giving Josh Allen the edge here, being a favorite by just 1 point. There were a couple thing to take into account, making it a really tough decision.
When it came to the combine, there were some stats which stood out. Josh Allen outperformed on his overall speed in the 40 yard dash and vertical. We liked those statistics for his ability to retrieve balls. With that being said, Patrick Mahomes, on an agility test (the 3 cone drill), ended up slighting Josh.
As far as their current body types, this comparison was also very close. Both are above 6 feet tall, with Josh being 6'5" and Patrick being 6'2". The height appeared an advantage here when it comes to throwing pong balls. Naturally it is easier to throw down, so given the height of Josh is 3 inches taller, we gave him the slight nod.
Last was the sporting ability. The 2 have basically the same exact sporting history. Both successful basketball and baseball players in their respective high schools. Mahomes got the win here however, because he was actually drafted to play professional baseball, proving him more versatile as an athlete.
Overall: Josh Allen -1 Cups
Social Life
Mahomes -2 Cups
Playing games is not just about how athletically talented you are. It takes some real strategy and charisma to win games. While Josh Allen may have taken the slight edge in the 1st comparison, these two have some exciting bios to look into as well.
Relationships:
The importance of relationships on the pong table is based on their history of commitment and history of competition at a young age.
Josh Allen:
Currently not married, believed to be in a relationship with celebrity actress and singer, Hailee Steinfeld.
He has 3 siblings including 1 brother, and 2 sisters.
Patrick Mahomes:
Married to Brittany Mahomes, and the father of 2 children, 1 son and 1 daughter. Patrick also has 1 brother, and 2 sisters.
Endorsements:
Being business minded and knowing your affiliations are both examples of intelligence and strategy. Hence the reason we took endorsements into account here.
Josh Allen:
According to Bleacher Report, Allen's endorsements include the likes of Nike, New Era, Gillette, Gatorade, Frito Lay, and Verizon.
Patrick Mahomes:
Oatuu reports that Mahomes has quite the resume as well when it comes to endorsements. Names such as Adidas, Head & Shoulders, State Farm, Bose, Hunts, BioSteel and Oakley all made the list.
College:
It is no secret why their college history is directly correlated to their success in a pong game, so let's see how Niche ranks both Josh and Patrick's schools.
Josh Allen:
Niche is used for prospective students looking to apply to certain schools. Josh went to Wyoming, an apparent A- graded school.
Patrick Mahomes:
According to Niche, Texas Tech was actually rated as an A. Noting some important factors such as the Party Scene and Athletics.
Who has the Edge?
Patrick Mahomes getting the edge in this one, and frankly it was not as close as we had hoped.
When looking at the relationships portion, we were taking into account how many games, and/or pong matches, the 2 players may have played with their siblings. Both quarterbacks had identical family makeups... which was no help in our decision making.
We then looked into their current relationships, and because Patrick is committed to his wife and his children at this point, it made sense that he would commit to winning this pong match as well.
As far as endorsements, Patrick does have an extra year on Josh, giving him some larger and more endorsements, but we are taking Josh on this one. A New Era ball cap and Frito Lay snacks are a slam dunk for any game night, so this pong match would be no different.
Lastly was the colleges. College life tends to correlate with the amount of games played. Whether in dorms, at parties, or even school events. Taking Niche's word here on the A over the A- and giving Patrick the benefit of the doubt with the correlation.
Overall: Patrick Mahomes -2
NFL Success
Mahomes -1 Cups
Our final comparison will be their competitive success in their respective profession. It only makes sense to see how they do on the field every week, how they match up against one another head-to-head, and what that means for their pong game.
Game Statistics:
It is important to know how well these players are throwing the ball, but also how well they are executing their games.
Josh Allen:
Thank you ESPN for these career statistics. In Josh Allen's career he has accrued the following stats in 81 games.
Passing Yards: 19,445
Completion Percentage: 63.1%
Rushing Yards: 3,193
Receiving Yards: 12
Total Touch Downs: 188
Patrick Mahomes:
In Mr. Mahomes' career, he has compiled the following stats in his 84 games.
Passing Yards: 25,247
Completion Percentage: 66.2%
Rushing Yards: 1,701
Receiving Yards: 6
Total Touch Downs: 212
Individual Achievements:
As far as individual achievement, this was a big factor in the grand scheme of the decision. It is only a 1v1 game, so if they are succeeding at an individual effort, it only makes sense it would correlate to a pong table.
Josh Allen:
According to Cover 1, Josh already holds the top 1 and top 2 passing seasons ever for the Buffalo Bills Franchise. And has won 12 AFC offensive player of the week awards.
Patrick Mahomes:
Via Stat Muse, Patrick has had his fair share of awards as well. He has won the offensive player of the year award once, 2 MVP awards, 2 Super Bowl MVP awards, and has won AFC offensive player of the week 9 times. Oh and he also has 2 Super Bowls.
Head to Head:
The 2 players have gone head-to-head in 5 matches over the past 3 years. During those games, Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills have lost 2 times, with score margin of 23 points. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have also lost 2 times, with a score margin of 22 points.
And in one of the most entertaining football games of all time. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills went to overtime in the playoffs of 2022, and the Kansas City Chiefs came out victorious in a 42-36 win over the Bills.
So basically these two players are carbon copies of each other.
Who has the Edge?
Going back-to-back as rapper Drake would say. Patrick Mahomes getting the edge again. It's just hard to argue against his success and not believe he can't do it on the pong table.
The game stats were honestly a toss up. It really came down to the touchdown percentage against their passing yards. While making throws is great, how often are you actually scoring, or in this case, making cups on the pong table. Patrick was scoring at a rate of 119 yards for every TD, while Josh ended with only 103, giving him the edge!
When looking at the individual achievements, it's hard not to take Josh here because 12 offensive player of the weeks over a shorter career than Patrick should be worth something... But the 2 NFL MVPs and 2 Super Bowls, kind of shatter any hope there for Mr. Allen. Going to to take the winner here in Patrick.
Lastly was the head-to-head matchup. We could not decide a winner for this specific portion. Their head-to-head matchup legitimately cannot be any closer. All we know is that they both compete when they play each other, and this game of Pong will be no different.
Overall: Patrick Mahomes -1
Final Decision:
Drum roll please......
If you were following along, you know the answer as to whether or not Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes would win in a game of pong.
According to the betting line, Patrick Mahomes will be getting balls back quite a bit in this game of Pong, and taking home the championship.
Athletic Ability
Josh Allen -1
Social Life
Partick Mahomes -2
NFL Success
Patrick Mahomes -1
Overall
Patrick Mahomes -2
With this all being said. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are no joke as NFL quarterbacks and as people. They also compete at their highest level when playing one another.
Making for an unbelievable pong matchup.
We could see the pong game between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes going into double or even triple overtime to determine a winner. Whether you take Josh at +2 or Patrick at -2 cups we know you'll have a great time watching these 2 compete.
Who You Betting?
Josh Allen +2 Cups
Patrick Mahomes -2 Cups
Josh Allen Money Line
Patrick Mahomes Money Line
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