2 weeks Ago By Nick Sabato | [email protected]
Don’t rub your eyes, it’s not a mistake. The Buffalo Bills are rolling into another matchup against the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars. For the third time in four years, the Bills enter a contest with Jaguars following a double-digit win over the Miami Dolphins.
The previous two haven’t gone well for Buffalo , dropping a 9-6 clunker in 2021 after a 15-point win over Miami and a 25-20 loss in London after throttling the Dolphins by 28 points the previous week. The Bills can’t overlook the Jaguars to a big Sunday Night Football matchup in Baltimore six days later or a similar outcome may halt their momentum. Here are four areas to watch: First down: Can the Bills continue to run the ball? Not only did the Bills struggle to run the ball in the last two matchups with the Jaguars, they abandoned it all together.
Buffalo ran just 14 times in each of the previous two games, placing the game entirely in Josh Allen’s hands. The Bills mustered 29 yards on the ground last season, but they have a new coordinator and seemingly a new approach. In the first two games, the Bills have called 54 runs and 49 passes, with Allen actually throwing 42 times, the fewest among quarterbacks to start two games.
As part of a growing trend around the league that has increased running and decreased passing statistics, the Bills have decided to combat a two-high safety look by handing the ball to James Cook, who earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for his three touchdowns against the Dolphins. The Bills are only averaging 4 yards per carry, but they have been able to run effectively when necessary. Buffalo has gone 10-1 since 2022 when Cook — who had minus-4 yards on five carries against Jacksonville last year — has at least 70 yards rushing and 16-4 when he carries the ball at least 10 times.
Second down: How much will Josh Allen have to throw? Although Allen hasn’t needed to throw often thus far, he’s been efficient when asked. He’s completed 73.8% of his passes, with 8.
8 yards-per-attempt average and no interceptions. That means he’s working the intermediate areas of the field and not making mistakes in the process. The Bills still haven’t given a strong glimpse at what their receivers can do, but Allen might have a chance to do some damage against a slightly bruised secondary.
Cornerback Tyson Campbell, fresh off signing a four-year, $76.5 million extension, was placed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury and safety Darnell Savage has been limited with a quadricep injury this week. Jacksonville has allowed four passes of 30 yards or longer this season, along with four more passing plays of at least 20 yards.
The Jaguars like to play two-high safeties with man coverage underneath, meaning it might be a tough day for receivers to get open, but could create chances for Allen to scramble. “It makes life pretty tough back there as a quarterback, especially with the group that they have,” Allen said. “If they can consistently get to the quarterback and only bring four and have seven guys, whether it be in man or zone coverage, that’s a defense you got to be scared of, is when they don’t have to pressure to get quarterback hits and sacks and force you off your spots, which they’ve shown to do.
” Third down: Making Lawrence throw Former No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence threw for 315 yards and a touchdown against the Bills last season, but it was the running game that caused them fits. Buffalo allowed a season-high 196 yards, including 136 and two touchdowns to running back Travis Etienne Jr.
, including a 35-yard touchdown to seal the win in the fourth quarter. Jacksonville is averaging 127.5 yards per game on the ground and picking up 5.
4 per clip. The Bills have allowed 263 yards on the ground this season, but 78 have come on quarterback scrambles and they are surrendering just 3.6 yards per carry to running backs.
While Lawrence has proven plenty capable during his four-year career, he is averaging 191 yards per game on a lowly 51% completions, second-last in the league for quarterbacks who have started at least two games. Lawrence went 14 of 30 for 220 yards against the Browns in Week 2. He’s also been sacked seven times this season — third-most in the NFL through two weeks — and was dropped five times by Buffalo last year, fumbling twice.
The Bills, meanwhile, have six sacks thus far and are preparing to get back defensive end Dawuane Smoot, who missed the first two games with a toe injury and can add some punch as an interior pass rusher. “Obviously a very special player, very talented player,” Bills safety Taylor Rapp said. “He can do a lot.
So it’s just being able to respect every opponent, every quarterback we face and treat every week the same.” Fourth down: Familiar faces There will be a slew of ex-Bills on the opposite sidelines this week. Center Mitch Morse is now in Jacksonville after spending five seasons in Buffalo, as is receiver Gabe Davis, who played for the Bills from 2020-2023 and has six catches for 105 yards after nabbing a three-year, $39 million contract in the offseason.
Cornerback Ronald Darby is also expected to start after being a 2015 second-round pick of the Bills and started 29 games until being traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2017. Jacksonville receivers coach Chad Hall was with the Bills from 2017-2022, while special teams coordinator Heath Farwell held the same job in Buffalo from 2019-2021. On the flip side, Smoot played his entire seven-year career in Jacksonville until signing with the Bills during the offseason.
Safeties coach Joe Danna was with the Jaguars from 2017-2021 before coming to the Bills in 2022. Injury report: Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard (pectoral) and cornerback Taron Johnson (forearm) have been ruled out, while Smoot and defensive end Javon Solomon (oblique) were limited in practice. Jaguars tight end Evan Engram seems doubtful after not practicing this week due to a hamstring injury, while running back Tank Bigsby (shoulder), Savage (quadricep) and left tackle Cam Robinson (knee) were all limited.
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