By Sydney Ciano
(Photo Courtesy Conor Kvatek, Buffalo Bills)
JACKSONVILLE – The Buffalo Bills’ 2025-26 season stayed alive on Sunday in a physical battle against the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road. Buffalo beat Jacksonville 27-24, advancing to the AFC Divisional Round
On the Jaguars’ final attempt to win the game, cornerback Tre’Davious White and safety Cole Bishop combined on a play that ended Jacksonville’s season. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence sent the ball out down the middle of the field, allowing White to tip the ball to at least force an incompletion. Bishop was right there, ready to put an end to the game and coming up with the game-sealing interception.
Before the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, quarterback Josh Allen had to convert on third-and-one. Instead of choosing an obvious option, he saw wide receiver Brandin Cooks left completely open down the field. Allen stepped back and lofted the ball 36 yards down the field to the Jaguars’ 20-yard-line.
On fourth-and-inches on the ensuing set of downs, the offense not only pushed Allen forward for the first down, but brought him just short of the end zone. Jacksonville used its third and final timeout to avoid a 10-second run-off after the review. The Bills opted to go for the touchdown on first-and-goal, going up 27-24.
The Jaguars’ second trip to the end zone in the fourth quarter gave them the lead for the first time on Sunday. This was the first of four lead changes in that quarter alone, and Buffalo reclaimed it quickly with less than nine minutes left on the clock.
Allen got tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox rolling, first with a short, seven-yard completion to Kincaid on third-and-four. Immediately after, Allen threw a deep pass through the middle for Knox. The veteran tight end hauled in the pass that put the Bills further into Jacksonville territory at the 28-yard-line.
On third-and-six from the 24-yard-line, Allen scrambled himself for the first down. A review, though, overturned the fall and marked him short. Fullback Reggie Gilliam gave Allen an extra push on fourth-and-inches, sending the quarterback well over the line of gain for a total four-yard pickup.
Allen faked a screen pass on the next play, ultimately sending the ball left to Kincaid down toward the end zone for 15 yards and a touchdown. Buffalo put itself up by three, 20-17.
Wide receiver Parker Washington missed a majority of the first half in concussion protocol. His absence for the Jaguars was evident as Lawrence continued feeding Washington towards the end of their second touchdown drive of the game.
Once getting the first down and bringing up a fresh set of downs for four chances into the end zone, Lawrence connected with Washington on second-and-goal, giving Jacksonville its first lead on Sunday, 17-13, in the fourth quarter.
Lawrence connected with Washington again for a huge, 31-yard completion from the Jaguars’ 44-yard-line to the Bills’ 25-yard-line. The deep pass over the middle hit the wide-open receiver and set Jacksonville up for success and a third touchdown. This time, running back Travis Etienne Jr. finished off the drive.
On third-and-one, Etienne took a direct snap and picked up two yards up the middle. Lawrence then sent the ball over to the rusher on the following play. Etienne caught the pass and took the ball 14 yards and past the plane into the end zone.
Following the Jaguars’ first score of the game, cornerback Montaric Brown popped the ball out of running back Ray Davis’ hands on the kick return. Jacksonville had another chance and hopes of extending its lead. The Bills’ defense, though, had other plans and came up with a critical stop at the eight-yard-line.
Linebacker Shaq Thompson logged the tackle that stopped Lawrence short of the first down. It took two reviews and a Buffalo challenge to overturn the initial ruling on the field, which was a success fourth-down conversion. Lawrence’s shin hitting the ground and Thompson getting his hands on the quarterback before the line of gain forced a turnover on downs.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Bills’ pass game got rolling with a combination of three wide receivers: Khalil Shakir, Cooks and Keon Coleman.
On the first two snaps of the drive, Shakir picked up 19 yards, slowly moving Buffalo out of its own territory. On the 15-yard completion, Shakir kept his feet in bounds with a side-step, extending the play longer and reaching the 27-yard-line. Quarterback Josh Allen, two plays later, connected with Cooks, weaving the ball on the outside and into the receiver’s arms just near the sideline for 12 yards.
After running back James Cook III couldn’t successfully cut back on the inside as defensive lineman Travon Walker spun him to the ground at the line of scrimmage, the Bills took a timeout and came out of the 30 second break ready to spark Coleman’s game.
Allen threw a deep pass to the second-year wide receiver. After catching the 18-yard pass, Coleman broke his legs free of the defender and kept moving down the field to the Jaguars’ eight-yard-line for a total 36-yard completion.
Cook picked up six yards before getting stopped on the second-and-goal attempt for no gain. Two yards out, Allen scrambled into the end zone himself, scoring Buffalo’s first touchdown of the afternoon.
Jacksonville had an opportunity to tie the game at halftime. A combination of a 34-yard completion down the field to Washington and a defensive offsides penalty gave kicker Cam Little a 54-yard field goal attempt with one second remaining in the first half.
The kick floated too far left, allowing the Bills to enter the locker room up by three.
Little redeemed himself in the third quarter after cornerback Tre’Davious White came up with two key stops. Lawrence sought out tight end Brenton Strange twice in the same set of downs from Buffalo’s 26-yard-line. On first-and-10, White forced the first incompletion. Then on third-and-nine, Lawrence targeted Strange again. White extended his arms in front, deflecting the ball away from Strange and forcing Jacksonville to settle for three.
The 43-yard attempt was good, but the Bills still had a three-point advantage due to a 47-yard field goal Prater hit to kick off the second half on Buffalo’s opening possession.
After both teams punted on their first possessions, Etienne picked up 22 yards on back-to-back plays for the Jaguars. Nearing midfield, Lawrence felt forced in getting the ball out of his hands due to Buffalo’s pressure. Washington got one hand on the ball, but not enough to make the catch. The tipped ball nearly landed in Bishop’s hands. Jacksonville ultimately survived for another snap as Bishop couldn’t corral the ball.
That extra life died quickly. Waiting for Lawrence to commit and make the throw on the next play, Thompson read the quarterback’s eyes and jumped up, intercepting the pass and picking up an additional 19 yards after. The Bills’ offense returned to the field sooner than anticipated at the Jaguars’ 33-yard-line.
Though it couldn’t muscle through for a second set of downs, Buffalo was still in field goal range, even after a five-yard delay of game penalty, for kicker Matt Prater. Prater sent the ball through the uprights for a 3-0 Bills lead in the first quarter.
Scoring Plays
First Quarter
BUF 3, JAX 0 – M.Prater 50-yard field goal is GOOD.
Second Quarter
BUF 3, JAX 7 – T.Lawrence pass short left to B.Thomas for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Little extra point is GOOD.
BUF 10, JAX 7 – J.Allen up the middle for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. M.Prater extra point is GOOD.
Third Quarter
BUF 13, JAX 7 – M.Prater 47-yard field goal is GOOD.
BUF 13, JAX 10 – C.Little 43-yard field goal is GOOD.
Fourth Quarter
BUF 13, JAX 17 – T.Lawrence pass short middle to P.Washington for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Little extra point is GOOD.
BUF 20, JAX 17 – J.Allen pass short left to D.Kincaid for 15 yards, TOUCHDOWN. M.Prater extra point is GOOD.
BUF 20, JAX 24 – T.Lawrence pass short right to T.Etienne for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. C.Little extra point is GOOD.
BUF 27, JAX 24 – J.Allen left guard for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. M.Prater extra point is GOOD.
