'Just shut up.' Mel Kiper defends Josh Allen yet again. Here's their history

Mel Kiper will not tolerate Josh Allen hate.

The ESPN analyst was perturbed by commentators putting the onus on the Buffalo Bills quarterback for the playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on the network's Get Up show.

"Just shut up. Just shut up with the Josh Allen stuff, OK?" Kiper chided.

Host Mike Greenberg asked Kiper for clarification and why he was telling people to shut up.

"When you hear blame and Josh Allen, it's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard of my life," Kiper said. "Josh Allen was daggone near perfect in that game.

"People said the last drive, last time I checked he got them in field goal range for a makeable field goal. Last time I checked he might've had a touchdown pass to (Khalil) Shakir had it not been hit as he was throwing that football. This guy played his tail off, did everything he could. And anybody who associates blame with Josh Allen is nuts."

Allen completed 26 of 39 passes for 186 yards and a touchdown and rushed for 72 yards and two TDs on 12 carries. He had potential touchdown passes dropped by Stefon Diggs and Trent Sherfield.

Mel Kiper thought Josh Allen should be No. 1 pick in 2018 NFL Draft

Kiper has admired Allen since he was a raw prospect at the University of Wyoming. Six years ago, Kiper predicted Josh Allen would go No. 1 overall to the Cleveland Browns in his first and second 2018 mock drafts. He had Allen rated above Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Rosen and Lamar Jackson.

"When you look at who finished the strongest of the Top 3 quarterbacks, (Josh Allen) did. In the bowl, and he lit it up, made NFL throws, showed tremendous competitiveness," Kiper said back then. "His numbers aren't impressive, I know. But the NFL is all about projection, and he has a high ceiling."

Kiper has been shouting from Bills Mafia tabletops about Allen for years, initially saying, "Stats are for losers, this guy won" during the predraft process.

ESPN set laughed at Mel Kiper for saying Josh Allen would be better than Sam Darnold

Kiper's effusive praise didn't waver a year later, after Allen was selected No. 7 overall by the Buffalo Bills, lost the starting quarterback competition to Nathan Peterman to start the season, and finished with a 52.8% completion percentage with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Kiper was asked on "SportsCenter" who is the quarterback five years from now that is dominating the AFC East. The date was April 28, 2019. Analyst Todd McShay said then-New York Jets QB Sam Darnold. Everyone else nodded in agreement. Kiper was clairvoyant and insisted it was Allen. And everyone on the set laughed at him. McShay couldn't believe Kiped liked Allen more than Darnold.

"Everybody wants to hate on Josh Allen," Kiper said. "I watched every snap. I saw a kid compete, make throws that, granted, there were some of those layups he missed here and there. But he had dropped passes putting him behind the chains; he had back-to-back penalties on great third-down throws. He put them in a position to win.

"This hate of Josh Allen has got to end. This kid went 5-5 in the games he started and finished, would've been 6-5 if he beat Houston but he was cheap-shotted out of that game. Don't disrespect Josh Allen. The team loves this kid. They will go through a wall for Josh Allen. I think the Buffalo Bills will go a long way with No. 17 at the helm."

Early in Allen's career, Kiper made the rounds on radio shows and podcasts saying he believes in Allen, argued with McShay over who predicted Allen's stardom first and called detractors of Allen "lazy."

In 2021, Kiper revealed he ranked Allen as his 10th highest-graded quarterback ever. Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly was No. 5 and former Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe was No. 7.

Love or hate Kiper, he was right. And he will stand up for Josh Allen every time.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Josh Allen can't be blamed for Bills loss to Chiefs, Mel Kiper yells