The Buffalo Bills will have an opportunity for a full-circle NFL playoff moment Sunday when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road in the AFC’s wild-card round.
EverBank Stadium was where the Bills played their first postseason game after breaking the infamous 17-year playoff drought. This is also the first time they’ve played the Jaguars in the playoffs since that fateful day in 2017, a Bills loss.
If ever there was a place for them to win their first road playoff game under coach Sean McDermott, it’s Jacksonville. But to do that, they’ll need their best assets ready to go.
Buffalo’s injuries have dictated its season. Injuries are never an excuse, and they happen to every team, but the Bills have been going through it this season. According to Sports Info Solutions, Buffalo had the third-highest number of games missed due to injury in 2025, with 297, and they are atop the AFC rankings. For context, that is almost double what the Jaguars have incurred this year (150).
Injuries during games were common, but the less common scenarios were what caused frustration. There was the pregame calf injury for defensive tackle DaQuan Jones that left the Bills short-handed against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6. Not to mention all the mid- and late-week practice injuries the Bills had to contend with during the season that wound up costing players at least a game or two.
There wasn’t a single day during the 2025 regular season when the Bills had all 53 members of their active roster available and practicing. Out of a possible 34 practice squad elevations to get through the game, the Bills used 33.
The defense has been the most impacted, by far. One of its star players, Ed Oliver, played in only three games this year and remains on injured reserve. The Bills lost key rotational pass rusher Michael Hoecht after just two highly impactful games to a season-ending torn Achilles tendon. And though the Bills haven’t incurred many other season-altering injuries, adding up all the little stuff has impacted their progress.
The only defensive tackle who didn’t miss at least one game due to injury or suspension was rookie Deone Walker. The Bills were without Oliver for 14 games, Jones missed four and rookie T.J. Sanders missed five, and those are just the main ones.
At linebacker, Terrel Bernard missed five games, and Matt Milano and Shaq Thompson missed four — none occurred in the same game.
The defensive backs saw top cornerback Christian Benford miss two games and nickel corner Taron Johnson miss three. Safeties Taylor Rapp and Damar Hamlin had their regular seasons end in October, and even Jordan Poyer missed two games to end the regular season.
But as the Bills get closer to the postseason, things are looking up for the first time in a long time on the injury front.
Although Oliver isn’t returning this week, the Bills are talking like he’s getting close. And though they didn’t give a target date, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter by the day. The Bills opened the 21-day practice window for Hamlin, their reserve safety, and even if it isn’t this week, Hamlin could be back into a special teams role before long.
On top of those, all of the recent injuries that cost players games are looking up.
Poyer, who became an indispensable part of the starting lineup when he took over in Week 8, missed the last two games with a hamstring injury. Poyer certainly seemed optimistic about his chances to play, and that’s putting it lightly.
“I feel good. I feel ready to go. I feel ready to play. I’m excited to play,” Poyer told The Athletic.
Jones, a key defensive starter all season, has also missed the last two games after aggravating a calf injury from earlier in the year. Though he wasn’t as outright in saying he’d be playing Sunday, there was a certain insinuation.
“Listen, if we had a game that we had to play to continue our season, I’m playing in ’em,” Jones told The Athletic on Wednesday. “It was just really for rest — make sure I’m good to go for, you know, the game that truly mattered at this point.”
Dalton Kincaid is an important part of the Bills’ passing game when he’s healthy and playing. (Mark Konezny / Imagn Images)
Tight end Dalton Kincaid appears to be following the same track as last week, as he was limited all week before playing against the New York Jets. When Kincaid is healthy and in the lineup, he is vital to the passing attack.
Heck, even the kicker situation is looking up. Matt Prater aggravated a quad injury that cost him two games, and it forced the Bills to sign kicker Matthew Wright to the practice squad just in case. However, Prater was a full participant Thursday, which is a positive sign.
Even if Prater can’t go, the Bills will at least have a kicker in Wright, who has had a good record in Jacksonville. Wright has made 15 of his 17 field goal attempts at EverBank Stadium during the regular season, and he didn’t miss a kick over his last five games played there.
Not to bury the lede, but quarterback Josh Allen is as healthy as he could be and is moving around extremely well during practice. This is a change from previous weeks, when Allen at least favored his injured foot. But with almost two weeks off from game action, the Bills are likely to have the full Allen experience for the playoffs.
Still on brand, the Bills have a handful of injuries to contend with this week. But in each of those cases, it’s not putting them in a worse position with the player who would be taking up the injured player’s usual role.
Linebacker Terrel Bernard, who began the year as the starting middle linebacker, hasn’t been spotted on the practice field for the past two weeks because of a Week 17 calf injury. Though Bernard has struggled this season, Thompson has been an upgrade for the Bills when he’s had to play a full complement of snaps.
Rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston, who has been splitting series with veteran Tre’Davious White as the co-running mate to No. 1 corner Christian Benford, injured his ankle against the Jets. However, despite having a pair of interceptions, Hairston has been outplayed by White since the arrangement began in late October. The biggest concern about an injury to Hairston is the depth behind Benford and White.
Running back Ty Johnson hasn’t practiced yet this week because of an ankle injury from Week 18 and has been their go-to third-down back during the season. But Ray Davis is a more-than-capable fill-in, and Johnson’s potential absence might just mean more James Cook — and more of the 2025 NFL rushing leader is never a bad thing.
Wide receiver Joshua Palmer has also been unable to practice with an ankle injury, though his standing on the receivers depth chart has plummeted in recent weeks. Palmer was one of three receivers the Bills used prominently in their get-through-it-and-rest-the-starters Week 18 game against the Jets. Palmer’s minimal time, if he misses, would likely move snaps toward the top three of Khalil Shakir, Brandin Cooks and Tyrell Shavers even more. Then there’s Gabe Davis, who will be bringing what he called “a little extra” when going up against the Jaguars, his 2024 team.
Although it isn’t perfect from an injury perspective, as it hasn’t been for the entire season for the Bills, they might just be the most meaningfully healthy they’ve been all season, just when they need it the most.
Projected practice squad elevations: DE Andre Jones Jr., LB Baylon Spector
Projected inactives: WR Joshua Palmer, TE Keleki Latu, OT Tylan Grable, DT Larry Ogunjobi, LB Terrel Bernard, CB Maxwell Hairston, S Jordan Hancock
Prediction: Bills 29, Jaguars 24
The Bills head into their wild-card matchup against a Jaguars team that is one of the hottest in the NFL. The Jaguars’ eight-game win streak is the fourth longest of the 2025 season and the second-longest active streak, behind only the Houston Texans’ nine. Going into Jacksonville and defeating this team won’t be a small feat. It’s likely to be a tight game, but some things are working in the Bills’ favor.
When the Bills are on offense, the health of Kincaid and the emergence of Cooks can contribute against a zone-heavy Jaguars defense that can be picked apart through the air. Even still, the Bills will need their running game to become the two-dimensional attack they so crave. The Jaguars have a very good run defense, with standouts like defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton and linebacker Foyesade Oluokun, who can challenge an offense. The Jaguars played a similarly structured Denver Broncos team recently, though, which, like the Bills, boasts one of the best offensive lines in the league. The Broncos also busted a few explosive runs from R.J. Harvey, who has similar acceleration to Cook, with Cook being the superior all-around player. The Bills should be able to move the ball and put up points against this Jaguars defense.
On defense, the Jaguars will be a big challenge to the Bills’ unit, which has played far better as of late. Jacksonville has several skill players who can impact the game. The Bills will need to be gap sound against a solid rushing team, and they have to be wary of the explosive runs that Travis Etienne and Bhayshul Tuten are capable of, though it helps that the Bills are likely to have Jones back in the lineup at defensive tackle.
One of the most difficult decisions the Bills might have is which receiver between Brian Thomas Jr. and Jakobi Meyers they’ll choose to make Benford, their top cornerback, travel with. Thomas is the big-play threat, but Meyers has quickly become an impact piece to their offense. Taron Johnson will also have his hands full with slot receiver Parker Washington. One injury to monitor is to Jaguars left tackle Cole Van Lanen, who didn’t practice Wednesday or Thursday because of a knee injury. If Van Lanen can’t go, it will likely put backup tackle Walker Little in the game and give the Bills defensive end a plus matchup. And when Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence is pressured, his impact goes down significantly.
Ultimately, I think the Bills will win in a close game that might come down to the final possession — whether that’s the Bills scoring a go-ahead touchdown or the Jaguars being denied a late-game go-ahead opportunity. Despite some of the Jaguars’ great parts, the Bills should be able to find success, most notably in their rushing game against some of Jacksonville’s rotational defensive linemen. The Jaguars are a good team, but the Bills should move on and secure their first road playoff win since McDermott arrived.