{"id":105771,"date":"2026-01-05T02:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-05T02:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/105771\/"},"modified":"2026-01-05T02:09:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-05T02:09:10","slug":"how-the-buffalo-bills-stack-up-against-jacksonville-jaguars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/105771\/","title":{"rendered":"How the Buffalo Bills stack up against Jacksonville Jaguars"},"content":{"rendered":"

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) \u2014 The Buffalo Bills’ Wild Card matchup is now official. With their win over the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Denver Broncos, the Bills will head to Jacksonville for a Wild Card matchup against the Jaguars.<\/p>\n

The Jaguars became just the third team in NFL history to go from losing 13 or more games last year (4-13 in 2024) to winning 13 games the following season (13-4 in 2025). Jacksonville clinched an AFC South title in the final week of the regular season with a dominant 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville has won eight straight games and impressed on both sides of the ball. The Jags’ defense has been especially impressive as of late and hasn\u2019t allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points since they allowed 24 points to the Arizona Cardinals on November 23.<\/p>\n

This will be the Bills’ first matchup against the Liam Coen-led Jaguars and the first trip to Jacksonville since 2021. In that game, the Bills had one of the worst losses in recent memory, scoring just six points on a day when Josh Allen and the offense were abysmal.<\/p>\n

If the Bills are going to go on a run in the playoffs, they\u2019ll need to do something they\u2019ve never done with Sean McDermott as the team’s head coach and Allen as the team’s quarterback. The Bills haven\u2019t won a road playoff game since January 3, 1993.<\/p>\n

Bove\u2019s Take:<\/p>\n

After weeks of guessing who the Bills’ playoff opponent could be, we know now. Jacksonville is one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and going on the road against a stout defense will be a tall task for the Bills. But if you believe in playoff experience, the Bills have a noticeable advantage.<\/p>\n

This will be Liam Coen\u2019s first playoff game as an NFL head coach. It will be Trevor Lawrence\u2019s third playoff game (1-1 in his career). In comparison, Sean McDermott has been the Bills’ head coach for 14 playoff games, and Josh Allen has played in 13 playoff games (7-6).<\/p>\n

Where the Jaguars have an advantage is with their run defense. The Bills will need to have success on the ground against the NFL\u2019s top rush defense. This season, the Jags have allowed an average of just 86 rush yards against per game. Against some of the NFL\u2019s best running backs, Jacksonville has been exceptional. In two games against Indianapolis, Jonathan Taylor was held to just 3.4 yards per carry.<\/p>\n

This Jaguars team is dangerous, and the most formidable opponent the Bills have played in the Wild Card round since 2019 in Houston. For years, they have been a heavy favorite, but early betting lines show Las Vegas expects this to be an extremely close matchup. As we\u2019ve seen all year, the Bills’ toughest opponent is often themselves. When they play well, there isn\u2019t a team they can\u2019t beat. But they\u2019ve been incredibly inconsistent and found themselves playing from behind too often. That formula won\u2019t work against a solid offense and super impressive defense.<\/p>\n

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