Writer: Alex James
Editor: Brandon Caputo
Photo Credit: wivb.com via Bills.com
The Bills defeated the Dolphins Sunday, improving to 5-2 on the season. The game was lackluster in comparison to the first meeting, however the Bills were in control from start to finish and never shown any doubt on who would come out on top. Allen threw for 249 yards and added 55 yards rushing on the day. Beasley became critical throughout the game amassing 110 yards receiving on 10 catches. His route running and reliability were on display, showing how critical he is to the offence after a slower start in comparison to the previous seasons. After this bounce back victory, the Bills travel to Florida to play the Jaguars on Sunday afternoon who are currently 1-6 on the season.
Photo Credit: TheScore.com
The first key to Sunday’s game is getting at Trevor Lawrence and making him uncomfortable in the pocket. The Jaguars have attempted 270 throws this season in comparison to 160 rushing attempts. Getting to Lawrence early will make him weary of the Bills pass rush, force him to throw more check downs, and limit his big yardage capabilities. This season, Lawrence has thrown 9 interceptions and been sacked 11 times so the Bills defence will be looking to rack up both individual and team statistics on Sunday. Look for Ed Oliver who is coming off a strong showing against the Dolphins to build off his previous performance and get his name on the team sheet against the rookie QB in Jacksonville.
Photo Credit: Dylan Buell/Getty Images
This second & final key for Sunday is for the Bills defence to dominate the Jaguars offence on 3rd down plays. The Jaguars have the second worst 3rd-down conversion rate in the NFL this year, currently at 32%. The Bills defence is currently 5th in the NFL with allowing an average of four 3rd-down conversions a game; stopping the them from putting drives together will add to to dominating time of possession, control of the game & the scoreboard.
Video Credit: Monumental Sports via NFL on CBS
Sunday in Jacksonville is going to be sunny & mild, with the temperature in the high 60’s. As of Friday, the injury report for the Bills is a little concerning; Brown, Feliciano & Knox are currently out . Beasley & Poyer were both limited in practice and still questionable for Sunday. Regardless of having a depleted O-line, the Bills should have little to no trouble against a rebuilding Jags team. The Bills dominate them in all statistical categories (other than 4th down conversion rates, both offensively and defensively) and will have another somewhat unromantic victory like we seen last week against Miami.
While these aren't necessarily the matchups we are super excited for, this is the time for the Bills to can clean up areas of the game that need improvement, all while building as a stronger cohesive unit going forward .
Prediction
Bills - 31
Jaguars - 7
Circle the Wagons,
Alex James
Sources: https://www.teamrankings.com/, https://www.stadiumforecast.com/football/nfl, https://www.buffalobills.com/team/injury-report/, www.espn.com & http://www.footballdb.com