Josh “All-In” Allen needs to make it to at least the Super Bowl or it s a huge bust. No Lamar, Burrow or Mahomes… no excuses!
Buffalo Bills (+100) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
Buffalo Bills (+100) @ Jacksonville Jaguars
-
-
Rookie coach Liam Coen led the Jaguars to one of the best seasons in franchise history.
He’s rewarded with a playoff opener against superstar QB Josh Allen, who is trying to reach the divisional round for the sixth consecutive year. (The Jags have played in six divisional round games in franchise history.) The Bills have also won five consecutive playoff openers, though all five have been at home.
“I’m not betting against Josh Allen in the playoffs,” an executive said.
In the current landscape, it’s natural to be enamored by the quarterback, especially a reigning MVP who is arguably the most dominant player in the league. Allen completed a career-high 69.3 percent of his passes, but his 3,668 yards and 25 touchdowns were his fewest since 2019. That’s more of an indictment on his supporting cast than anything else.
“Josh Allen scares me,” another executive said, “but the rest of the team doesn’t.”
Allen has made up for the Bills’ defensive issues more often than not, as they were an extraordinary 4-0 this season when surrendering at least 31 points. The rest of the league was 10-106-2.
The Bills’ backers cited their experience as the decisive factor.
“No Lamar, Burrow or Mahomes — it’s Josh’s year,” a third executive said.
But don’t sleep on the Jags. They’ve won eight in a row, outscoring opponents by 19.1 points per game along the way, to fend off the streaking Texans for their first AFC South title since 2022. And the Jags went 5-3 against playoff teams, second only to the Seahawks’ 6-2 mark. (The Bills were 3-3 against playoff teams.)
Since Week 9, the Jaguars’ 32.8 points per game were second to the Rams. Overall, the defense ranked second with 31 takeaways and first against the run (85.6 yards per game), which are two vital factors for playoff success.
“That’s one of the best coaching jobs in our league all year,” an executive said of Coen and his staff.
The true battle might come down to the Bills’ rushing attack against that Jags stout front. Bills running back James Cook was the rushing champion with 1,621 yards. Allen’s 41 rushing touchdowns since 2023 are the second most behind Baltimore Ravens superstar Derrick Henry.
“(But) that Jaguars defense is for real,” a fourth executive said.
Comment -
Over 51Comment -
Go get 'em, Header.
Did you know Daniel Jones has more playoff road victories than Josh Allen?Comment -
Rooting for them. I'm rooting for another AFC team to win the conference and the Jaguars scare the hell out of me.Comment