The Jacksonville Jaguars will host the Buffalo Bills in the first of the three scheduled Wild Card Weekend Games this Sunday. While the Jaguars have won the AFC South and secured the third rank in their conference, the Buffalo Bills, for the first time in six years, haven’t won in the AFC East.

This season, in the 10 games they played after the  Bye Week (Week 8), the Jaguars won nine out of 10 games, and eight of them were consecutive victories. The Jaguars are one of the best-performing teams this year, and a fitting match for the Bills.

The reigning MVP, Josh Allen’s team, recorded a 12-5 regular season. They aced five games out of their six and won the last four games consecutively. Their worst loss of the season was against the Houston Texans in a 23-19 matchup.

Key Storylines

The Jaguars won those eight consecutive games by an average of 19 points per game. They scored more than 23 points in those matchups and gave up only 20 at most. Against the playoff teams such as the Broncos and the Chargers, they won 34-20 and 35-6, respectively. 

The Bills have given away 5.1 yards per carry on average, making them the third-worst team in the league in that regard. The Jaguars, on the other hand, averaged 4.0 yards per carry this season but ran more than 150 yards and more in four games.

Trevor Lawrence has scored 29 touchdowns this season for 4007 yards and thrown 12 interceptions. He looks far more prepared for this playoff season compared to his last against the Chargers.

He was intercepted four times in the first half but compensated for the 27-0 by pulling off four touchdown drives and a game-winning field goal. Can we remain stable and consistent against Josh Allen?

Allen, on the other hand, has thrown 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for 3,668 yards. This post-season is a perfect opportunity for him and the Bills to compete in the Super Bowl if they win three matches.

Other star quarterbacks, such as Joe Burrow, Patrick Mahomes, for the first time in his career, and Lamar Jackson, were eliminated and don’t pose any competition this time.

So, will Allen make the most of it and walk towards the grand finale?

Injury Update

Jaguars' left tackle Cole Van is questionable due to his knee, and Van Lanen practiced in a limited capacity because of the injury he sustained against the Titans last week.

Meanwhile, the Bills have four players deemed questionable and three out. They are Terrel Bernard, Maxwell Hairston, and Damar Hamlin.

Coaches' Opinion

Liam Coen backed his quarterback and said Lawrence's performance in the playoffs will matter the most, not his regular-season ones.

“You’re judged as a quarterback by your team’s record and ultimately what you do in the playoffs,” he said. “The best rise and the best elevate the people around him, and I think he’s continued to do that. Some guys get hot early, and then some guys get hot later, and it’s really what you do in January that matters.”

Sean McDermott, who faced the Jaguars last in 2017, shared that he's grateful to have led this team into the playoffs and is ignoring the gap between his first and second playoff appearances.

"You never know if you'd get back again. There's tons of players, tons of coaches who've never even experienced the playoffs at all and had long careers. So, you don't take it for granted, but you understand the opportunity that's in front of us. That's the key part of us for this week for us."

Prediction

With Lawrence at the tip of his game, the Jaguars cake walking their victories, and Liam Cohen a Coach of the Year contender, they are a solid bet, yet the Bills are powered by Allen. This game is expected to be a cutthroat match, but Allen is the reigning MVP for a reason. 

The Bills are predicted to win with 26 points against the Jaguars’ 23.

Kickoff and Broadcasting Details

The game starts at 1 p.m. ET at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville on Sunday. It can stream on NFL+.

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Joyita Das