The opening point spread for the Jaguars vs Bills matchup was around five points, and for good reason. Based on recent history and their play this season, the Buffalo Bills are the better football team. In the NFL, however, the better football team does not always win. Every team in the NFL has talent. The difference between winning and losing is figuring out what separates each team on any given Sunday. This Sunday, in London, the Jaguars have a few things going in their direction and have a great chance to beat the Bills.
[metabet_core_game_tile query=”fbp/buffalo_bills” size=”350×300″ site_id=”lastwordonsports”]
5 Reasons the Jaguars Defeat the Bills on Sunday
Most people are picking the Bills to win this weekend. They have the better pass rush, the better quarterback, and the better offensive line. The Bills have given up just 55 points this season and have scored 139. The Jaguars, on the other hand, have scored 80 and given up 82. There are not that many reasons to believe that the Jaguars will win, but here are five reasons why they could:
1. Two Games In a Row in London
The Jaguars are playing their second game in a row in London, and that could be a huge advantage. They have had more than a week to grow accustomed to the time, the food, the facilities, and the culture. This game also marks 10 years in a row that Jacksonville has played at least one game in London. Even though it is technically a home game for the Bills, the Jaguars will have more fans in the stadium. Being in London for the second week in a row could be the advantage the Jaguars need to pull off the upset.
2. Cam Robinson Is Back
Cam Robinson is making his return to the team this weekend and the offensive line should be immediately better. His replacement, Walker Little, has been playing well. He has been the team’s best offensive lineman this year followed by right tackle Anton Harrison. Robinson’s return will slightly strengthen the left tackle spot, but it could also change the entire complexion of the line.
Little is expected to move inside to left guard in place of Ben Bartch who has been struggling all season. That move inside could also open the opportunity for Tyler Shatley to move to center. The team’s second-year center, Luke Fortner, has been pushed around through four games and has seemingly regressed from a promising rookie year. The bottom line is that a struggling offensive line could get a facelift this Sunday, and nobody will be happier about that than Trevor Lawrence.
3. Jaguars Josh Allen Needs to Put Pressure on Bills Josh Allen
Jaguars edge rusher Josh Allen is in a contract year and it is showing. He needs to get to Bills quarterback Josh Allen if the Jaguars are going to win. After just 7.5 sacks all of last season, he already has six this year through four games. Even with Travon Walker struggling and the team missing Davon Hamilton in the middle, the pass rush is showing signs of life. The defensive line needs to play its best game of the season for Jacksonville to have a chance.
On a side note, the Jaguars opened Dawuane Smoot’s window to return from the PUP list. He will not play this Sunday, but Smoot will return sometime in the next three games to give the pass rush a new weapon.
4. Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby
According to the Team Rankings website, the Bills are ranked 20th in rushing yards allowed and fourth in passing yards allowed. If the Jaguars have a chance to win this Sunday, they need Etienne and Bigsby to step up. Travis Etienne is one of the most explosive and complete running backs in the NFL. But so far in 2023, he has been inconsistent. He is good between the tackles and is fast enough and elusive enough to do damage on the outside. He is also an above-average pass catcher out of the backfield. Etienne needs a solid game in London to take the pressure off of Trevor Lawrence and to keep the Bills’ pass rush honest.
When Tank Bigsby was chosen in the third round of the draft, there was some excitement in Jacksonville. It seemed like a perfect pairing for Travis Etienne and reminded many of the Maurice Jones-Drew/Fred Taylor combo of years ago. So far this year, Bigsby has been a disappointment. He struggles to catch passes out of the backfield, has made a few costly mistakes, and has never really shown flashes of the power and speed people expected. He could have his biggest game of the season this Sunday against a Bills team that struggles against the run.
5. Calvin Ridley Is Close to Putting it All Together
Calvin Ridley was a pass interference call away from having a big game against the Falcons. He is showing some signs of getting back to his old form after two years out of football. Ridley has struggled so far this season and has had some crucial drops in the first few weeks. Back in 2018, Ridley’s first year with the Falcons, he had 10 dropped passes. The following three years in Atlanta, however, he caught almost everything that was thrown his way. Ridley is fast, has good hands, and is a superb route-runner, and those traits are starting to shine through on Sundays.
Universal Responsible Gambling Disclaimer: Ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
