The 2-8 Jacksonville Jaguars travel to Buffalo to play the 5-5 Bills Sunday. Jacksonville’s season is over, and Gus Bradley is likely coaching his last few games for the Jaguars. The Bills are still in the playoff race for a wildcard position as it seems improbable that the New England Patriots will not win the AFC East. The Jaguars have lost five games in a row and to avoid making it six, Jacksonville needs to somehow win their key player matchups against the Bills.
Key Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Buffalo Bills Player Matchups
Jaguars Front Seven vs Bills Rushing Attack
Buffalo is ranked dead last in passing offense, but they are first in the league when it comes to running the football. The trio of LeSean McCoy, Tyrod Taylor, and Mike Gillislee have accumulated over 1,500 yards rushing. The Bills average 5.3 yards per carry and have scored 17 rushing touchdowns on the year. Jacksonville’s run defense has been inconsistent. The Jaguars have allowed four teams to run for more than 140 yards against them, but they have also kept six teams below 100 yards rushing. The Bills have only been held to less than 100 yards rushing once since the team fired former offense coordinator Greg Roman. Jacksonville’s defensive line must make an impact on early downs to stay in this game. The linebackers have to make open field tackles on McCoy when given the opportunity to decrease big plays.
Allen Robinson vs Stephon Gilmore
Allen Robinson has had an up and down season as he has failed to be the consistent deep ball threat that he blossomed into last year. In the 2015 matchup between the two teams, Robinson got the better of Stephon Gilmore, catching six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. Gilmore will look to play physical with the Jaguars receivers as Robinson has had issues separating from tight coverage. The Bills corner is having a career year, recording four interceptions and ten pass deflections. Early in the year, Gilmore struggled with giving up big plays, but he has locked in the past month. Robinson will need to bring his “A” game if the Jaguars are to have any hope of adding the big play element back to their offense.
Lorenzo Alexander vs the Jaguars Offensive Tackles
Lorenzo Alexander has been a terror this year. He has more sacks this season (ten) than he had over the previous nine seasons (nine) of his career. The savvy veteran has revitalized his career in Buffalo and looks to continue his dominance against Jacksonville. Jaguars’ left tackle Kelvin Beachum has been one of the better free agent signings Dave Caldwell has made over the past four years. He’s settled in well after a rocky start to his first season back from his ACL injury. Right tackle Jermey Parnell on the other hand has had his hands full this season after having a decent first year with the Jaguars last season. Parnell has had issues with committing holding penalties and giving up sacks. The Bills should line Alexander up on Parnell for the majority of the game to exploit the mismatch. Look for Jacksonville to keep a running back in to help chip Alexander to neutralize the defender’s impact on the outcome of the game.
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