Four keys for the Buffalo Bills to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on wild-card weekend

Four keys for the Buffalo Bills to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars on wild-card weekend

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence is drawing on past meetings with the Bills for what to expect. The Buffalo defense in return needs to mix things up a bit.

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1. Best on best​

The NFL’s top-ranked rushing offense meets the top run defense in this matchup. While Buffalo running back James Cook has been a force, Bills coach Sean McDermott knows how stingy Jacksonville can be when it comes to stopping the run. The Jaguars gave up just 85.6 rushing yards per game this season to rank first. “They set edges well,” McDermott said Wednesday. “They play, some of the time, five guys on the line of scrimmage, sometimes it’s four, so they change structures. They pressure quite a bit, and so you’ve got to be on your details to make sure we’re all on the same page with that and how we handle that.”

2. Learn from regular season​

The Bills put themselves in a number of bad situations this year, particularly in first halves, and they were able to climb out. Quarterback Josh Allen thinks that, plus veteran experience, will help steady the team in the playoffs. “I think we've been forced into a lot of different scenarios this year and found ourselves out of most of them,” Allen said Wednesday. “There's some that obviously we've learned from and taken that knowledge that we've gained throughout the season into the playoffs. And having guys that have been around the playoffs regularly on a team, I think it does pay dividends. But again, just trusting the veteran leadership.”


Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence throws under pressure from Bills defensive end Greg Rousseau on Sept. 23, 2024, at Highmark Stadium.
Joshua Bessex, Buffalo News

3. Throw new looks at Lawrence​

Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence is drawing on past meetings with the Bills for what to expect. The Buffalo defense in return needs to mix things up a bit. “Their scheme has been very similar for a lot of years … but they do a really good job of disguising and changing the picture on quarterbacks and they bring a lot of different pressures, and they play that game a little bit that you’ve got to kind of figure out the chess match,” Lawrence said. “And they do a nice job and they present some challenges … but yeah, definitely similar to how they've been in the past, which is throw a little bit of things at you and you try to figure it out.”

4. Don’t rely on special teams​

Bills kicker Matt Prater is familiar with the Jaguars’ standout kicker Cam Little. “I know Cam, we’ve worked out together in the offseason,” Prater said Wednesday. “He’s having a heck of a season, great kicker. But end of the day, hopefully we’ll score touchdowns, not field goals.” With Prater dealing with a right quad injury, and with Little striking field goals from 68 and 67 yards this season, the Bills won’t want this game to come down to kicking. Like Prater said, Buffalo's offense needs to end drives with seven points instead of three if they want to stay (somewhat) comfortable.