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Jaguars lose in NFL playoffs: What we learned from the loss to Bills
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- Jaguars lose in NFL playoffs: What we learned from the loss to Bills
Four questions and answers about the Jacksonville Jaguars in their 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jan. 10 to end their season in the AFC wild-card round :
First Down
Question:How did Bills receiver Brandin Cooks get open for a 36-yard catch to spark the Bills' go-ahead drive?
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Answer:The first guess is Jaguars cornerback Greg Newsome had outside position and thought he had inside help from safety Antonio Johnson . Clearly, there was a malfunction at the junction. A big-time breakdown downfield.
Quarterback Josh Allen threw 2 yards to tight end Dawson Knox on the next play to the Jaguars' 18, followed by a 4-yard pass to receiver Khalil Shakir . Jaguars coach Liam Coen called timeout with 1:16 remaining. On third down, another quick pass to Shakir gained 3 yards and Coen called timeout at the 1:10 mark.
On fourth-and-1, Allen ran the sneak play and was pushed and pushed and pushed some more to the Jaguars' 1-yard line. The Bills scored on the next play to take a 27-24 lead with 1:02 left.
Second Down
Question:Up 7-3 over Buffalo and after rookie LeQuint Allen, Jr. forced Bills kick returner Ray Davis to fumble, the Jaguars faced fourth-and-2 at the Bills' 9. Agree with Coen's decision to go for it (and not make it) ?
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Answer:Like the call to go for it, but didn't like the play call.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence ran a keeper to the left side and chaos followed.
The virtual measurement gave the Jaguars a first down, but Bills coach Sean McDermott won a challenge that Lawrence was down before crossing the marker. The Bills drove 92 yards to take a 10-7 lead.
The Jaguars' run game was getting cranked up at that point so I would have liked to see a perimeter run by Travis Etienne or Bhayshul Tuten to comfortably get first-down yardage.
Third Down
Question:How dismal was the Jaguars' execution on their initial second-half drive after reaching the Buffalo 26?
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Answer:Bad to the point where the Jaguars were fortunate to kick a 43-yard Cam Little field goal to cut the Bills' lead to 13-10.
On first down, Lawrence telegraphed his pass to tight end Brenton Strange in the right flat and only Strange getting a hand on the football prevented an interception by cornerback Tre'Davious White.
On second down, Lawrence emptied the backfield and ran a designed keeper that went nowhere (1-yard gain).
And on third down, Lawrence had Strange open on a post route, but was a tick late to throw, allowing White to converge for the pass break-up.
A chance to take the lead was squandered.
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) passes during the second quarter in an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Bills lead 10-7 at the half over the Jaguars. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union]
Fourth Down
Question: The Jaguars' eight-game winning streak ended and their season is over at 13-5 . What kind of pall does losing a first-round home playoff game put on the season?
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Answer:For the next few days, it will be tough for the Jaguars to accept because their passing game entered the playoffs operating at such a high level and they were on their home field. It will be like a sledgehammer over the head.
But in the big picture, the Jaguars must look at this season as potentially the start of sustained success.
What the Jaguars have to address in the offseason is their pass rush, which didn't scare many teams during the season. Can they find help in the second round (or later) or have to be bold in free agency/trade to add a defensive end? I will lean toward a trade.
Contact O'Halloran at rohalloran@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Jaguars lose in NFL playoffs: What we learned from the loss to Bills
