The inaugural season for Liam Coen’s Jacksonville Jaguars ends in a packed EverBank Stadium as the visiting Buffalo Bills upset the upstart Jags 27-24. The game featured an exciting, but excruciating four 4th quarter lead changes (the most in NFL history) and resulted in Jacksonville’s second home loss of the season at the most inopportune time. Here’s everything you need to know from Jacksonville’s Wild Card home loss to the Bills.
Live blog:
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Game Recap
With the game kicking off with punts by both offenses, Trevor Lawrence committed the game’s first turnover on Jacksonville’s second possession, throwing an interception to Bills LB Shaq Thompson at their own 40-yard line.
The Jacksonville defense held Buffalo to a 50-yard Matt Prater field goal to kick off the scoring. (Jaguars 0, Bills 3)
The Jacksonville ground game kicked up on the following drive, with explosive rushes of 20, 14, and 13 yards from RB Bhayshul Tuten on the 7-play, 65-yard, 3:40 drive, capped by a 3-yard Brian Thomas Jr. touchdown reception. (Jaguars 7, Bills 3)
Jacksonville’s first playoff TD in 1,086 days:
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January 11, 2026
LeQuint Allen forced a diving fumble on the ensuing kickoff, coming in like a missile on returner Ray Davis, diving to make contact with the ball. LB Devin Lloyd recovered the fumble.
FUMBLE ON THE KICK RETURN. JAGS BALL.
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However, the Jaguars were unable to score on the drive after unsuccessfully deciding to attempt to convert on 4th-and-2 from the 9-yard line. Buffalo subsequently drove 92 yards in 10 plays, with explosives of 36, 15, 12, and 11 yards. Jarrian Jones’ missed tackle on Keon Coleman resulted in the longest play.
Allen to Coleman for 36!
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Three plays later, Bills QB Josh Allen rushed the ball into the end zone from two yards to regain the lead. (Jaguars 7, Bills 10)
The Jaguars’ offense struggled to get on the same page on the following drive, with back-to-back incompletions on 2nd and 3rd down. Lawrence’s 2nd down pass may have gone for a touchdown had it not been tipped at the line, with a subsequent third-down miscommunication between him and Parker Washington. However, Anthony Campanile’s unit forced a mid-field punt to give the offense an opportunity for points before the half, with 1:05 remaining and no timeouts. Following a Buffalo offsides with one second remaining, Cam Little was given an attempt to tie the game at the half, but the NFL record holder missed the 54-yard attempt with no time remaining. (Jaguars 7, Bills 10)
The Jaguars field goal is NO GOOD.
Bills lead at the half.
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Halftime Stats:
- Score: Jaguars 7, Bills 10
- First downs: Jaguars 9, Bills 9
- Time of possession: Jaguars 12:40, Bills 17:20
- Defensive Sacks: Jaguars 0, Bills 1
- Turnovers forced: Jaguars 1, Bills 1
- Rushing yards: Jaguars 99, Bills 43
- Yards per rush: Jaguars 9.0, Bills 3.6
- Passing yards: Jaguars 86, Bills 129
- Passing yards per attempt: Jaguars 5.4, Bills 7.6
- Redzone: Jaguars 1/2 (50%), Bills 1/1 (100%)
- Penalties: Jaguars 2 for 10 yards, Bills 5 for 30 yards
- Points off turnovers: Jaguars 0, Bills 10 (including a turnover on downs)
QB Trevor Lawrence ended the half 9/15 for 88 yards, 1 touchdown, one interception (71.1 passer rating). RB Bhayshul Tuten led the run game with 4 carries for 51 yards (12.8 YPC). Josh Allen was 14/17 for 129 (98.3 passer rating) and RB James Cook had 9 carries for 31 yards (3.4 YPC) at the half.
Second Half
Buffalo began the half with an 11-play, 45-yard, 6:48 drive that was capped by a Matt Prater 47-yard field goal. (Jaguars 7, Bills 13)
Jacksonville returned a field goal of their own, a Cam Little 43-yarder, after a 6-play, 40-yard drive. (Jaguars 10, Bills 13)
The Jaguars’ defense stepped up in a huge way on the following drive, picking up their first sack of the game via Josh Allen on Josh Allen violence (I know, it’s Josh Hines-Allen).
Josh Allen sacked by Josh Allen.
This makes me think of their 2021 matchup where Josh Hines-Allen got an Int, FF and a sack on QB Josh Allen.
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— Fitz (@LaurieFitzptrck)
January 11, 2026
Buffalo punted the ball back to Jacksonville two plays later, with the Jacksonville offense quickly moving into Bills territory using the passing game. Thomas and Washington converted 3rd downs with gains of 18 and 14 yards as the offense moved into the red zone. The Washington-Lawrence connection continued to blossom as Washington brought in an impressive, contested six-yard touchdown to regain the lead.
Parker Washington gives the Jaguars the lead!
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The Bills’ offense refused to go away, answering with a 9-play, 65-yard drive, with Allen converting a red zone 4th-and-1. The drive was later capped by a Dalton Kincaid 15-yard touchdown catch, after faking a screen. (Jaguars 17, Bills 13)
Allen. Kincaid. Bills retake a 3-point lead!
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The Jaguars’ offense again answered the call with a quick 31-yard catch from Parker Washington to enter Bills territory.
Lawrence to Washington for 31!
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The 10-play, 77-yard, 4:53 drive continued with Travis Etienne’s second 14-yard catch on the drive, this one to retake the lead. (Jaguars 24, Bills 20)
Lawrence to Etienne! ANOTHER lead change in this game!
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The back-and-forth 4th quarter battle continued, as Josh Allen continued to will the Bills offense down the field, completing a 36-yard pass with Greg Newsome in coverage.
ALLEN TO A WIDE OPEN COOKS. 36 YARDS.
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Buffalo rushed the ball in for a go-ahead touchdown after turning a 4th-and-inches attempt into 1st-and-goal from the 1-yard line. (Jaguars 24, Bills 27)
The game was sealed with Lawrence’s second interception of the day, a tipped Jakobi Meyers’ intended pass, which allowed Buffalo to kneel the ball for the remainder of the clock.
Best highlight:
Bhayshul Tuten’s first half contributions were huge in this one. Sadly, his last carry came with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter.
Bhayshul Tuten carries it three straight times for 47 yards!
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Biggest play(s) of the game:
According to rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Expected Points Added (EPA) was Trevor Lawrence’s first quarter interception (-5.5 EPA)
First turnover of the game: Shaq Thompson picks off Lawrence!
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Per
rbsdm.com, the biggest play of the game by Win Probability was the 4th down conversion that resulted in 1st-and-goal (33% win probability).
JOSH ALLEN TUSH PUSHES FOR 10 YARDS
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Key stats (traditional):
- QB Trevor Lawrence: 18/30 for 207 yards, 3 TDs, 2 ints (86.4 passer rating)
- RB Travis Etienne: 10 carries for 67 yards (6.7 YPC), 5 catches for 49 yards (9.8 YPR), and 1 TD
- RB Bhayshul Tuten: 4 carries for 51 yards (12.8 YPC)
- WR Parker Washington: 7 catches for 107 yards, 1 TD, on 12 targets
- LB Devin Lloyd: 6 tackles (5 solo) and a fumble recovery
- DE Josh Hines-Allen: 4 tackles (3 solo), 1 sack, 2 QB hits
- DE Travon Walker: 5 tackles (3 solo), 1 QB hit
Notable statistical gaps:
- First downs: Jaguars 20, Bills 20
- Third down: Jaguars 5/9 (55.6%), Bills 7/14 (50%)
- Defensive Sacks: Jaguars 1, Bills 1
- Rushing yards: Jaguars 154, Bills 79
- Yards per rush: Jaguars 6.7, Bills 3.0
- Passing yards: Jaguars 205, Bills 261
- Redzone: Jaguars 3/4 (75%), Bills 3/3 (100%)
- Penalties: Jaguars 2 for 10 yards, Bills 7 for 39 yards
- Turnovers forced: Jaguars 1, Bills 2
- Points off turnovers: Jaguars 0, Bills 10 (including a turnover on downs)
View the full box score here
Game balls:
- Special Teams: LeQuint Allen: Special teams fumble forced that should have led to points
- Defense: LB Devin Lloyd: 6 tackles (5 solo) and a fumble recovery
- Offense: WR Parker Washington: 7 catches for 107 yards, 1 TD, on 12 targets
Post-game notables:
Points off turnovers hurt Jacksonville on Sunday
The Jaguars led the league in points off turnovers with 96 (averaging 5.3 points per game). On Sunday, they lost that battle, turning the ball over on downs within field goal range following the Bills’ only turnover in the game. Additionally, the Bills scored a touchdown following that turnover on downs to extend that lead to 10 points.
Jaguars’ run game shone, but was abandoned at times
With Bhayshul Tuten averaging over 12 yards per carry on four attempts and Travis Etienne averaging 6.7 on 10 attempts, one has to ask why the offense seemed to get away from getting the ball into the running back’s hands so often in the second quarter. Travis Etienne ended the day with 116 total yards and probably should have broached 175, if fed early on.
Defense struggles in the second half dooms Jacksonville
The Jaguars’ defense, after playing a fantastic first half of football, struggled to slow down Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense following the break, giving up two touchdowns and a field goal on four drives (excluding the kneeldown drive). And while the defense went 4/8 on 3rd down in the second half, Buffalo was also 2/2 (100%) on 4th down attempts on their final two scoring drives. Josh Allen took what the defense gave him and targeted the checkdowns. Allen was 28/35 for 273 yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 rushing touchdowns.
Pregame Notes:
As a note, the following Jacksonville players left Sunday’s game due to injury:
- WR Parker Washington temporarily left the game to be checked for a concussion (returned early in the second quarter)
Additionally, pre-game injuries for both teams were as follows:
For Jacksonville, LT Cole Van Lanen was inactive after practicing in a limited fashion on Friday with a knee injury that forced his late exit from the Week 18 Tennessee Titans victory. RB DeeJay Dallas, WR Dyami Brown, TE Hunter Long, DT Maason Smith, and DL Emmanuel Ogbah were all healthy scratches.
For Buffalo, starting MLB Terrel Bernard, 3rd down RB Ty Johnson, and CB Max Hairston highlighted the inactives, with S Darnell Savage, OT Tylan Grable, TE Keleki Latu, and DT Larry Ogunjobi also out.
What are your thoughts from today’s game, Jaguars fans? Who surprised you most or disappointed you with their play tonight? Let us know in the comments.
