Bills/Jaguars: Opponent History

by sireric on Sep 10, 2008 6:45 AM EDT in Events

Thebestteameverred_medium Jax_medium
Buffalo Bills (1-0) at Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Sunday, September 14, 2008, 1:00 PM ET

All right Rumblers, it's time for a new feature that I will call "Opponent History". Each week I will look back at the last five times the Buffalo Bills played the current week's opponent. This week's opponent for the Bills are the Jacksonville Jaguars:

October 18, 2001: Bills 13, Jaguars 10
This was one of the few highlight games of the 2001 season that saw the Bills go 3-13 in Gregg Williams' first season as head coach (he's now the Jags' defensive coordinator). The immortal Jake Arians hits a 46 yard field goal with 1:03 left on the clock, giving the Bills their first win of the year and Williams' first as Bills head coach (and it was a road win, no less). The Jags finished 6-10 that year, good for fifth in the old AFC Central.

September 14, 2003: Bills 38, Jaguars 17
The game after the Bills beat up the Patriots 31-0, the Bills headed into Jacksonville and hung 38 on the Jags. Travis Henry runs for only 26 yards on 21 carries but gets 3 scores, and Drew Bledsoe throws for 314 yards, highlighted by a 54 yard pass play to Bobby Shaw, and a 37 yard score to Eric Moulds. Buffalo started the '03 season out 2-0, only to flop badly and finish the year 6-10. The Jags were 5-11.

September 12th, 2004: Jaguars 13, Bills 10
The '04 season opener sees the Bills drop a heartbreaker to the Jags on a 7 yard TD pass from Byron Leftwich to Ernest Wilford in the back of the end-zone as time expires. The Bills rebounded later that year behind break-out running back Willis McGahee to finish 9-7 and miss a playoff berth by the skin of their teeth (thank you, Willie Parker); the Jags finished 9-7 as well.

November 26th, 2006: Bills 27, Jaguars 24
The Jaguars racked up 207 yards rushing in this one, but the Bills - on the strength of a Roscoe Parrish 82-yard punt return for a TD and a Rian Lindell FG as time expired - pulled out the win. That may have been Parrish's finest game as a pro, as it was also his fancy footwork on a sideline throw by J.P. Losman that got the Bills into position for Lindell's game-winner.

November 25th, 2007: Jaguars 36, Bills 14
The Bills go into Jacksonville with playoff aspirations only to have Fred Taylor quickly squash them with a long 50 yard TD run just 5 minutes into the game. Taylor would finish with 104 yards on only 14 carries. Buffalo was in this game in the third quarter, trailing 22-14 on two nice scores (a screen pass by Anthony Thomas and a reverse by Parrish), but a long touchdown reception by Reggie Williams and a Maurice Jones-Drew score sealed Buffalo's fate late.

Bills' record, last five meetings: 3-2
Next meeting: Sunday, September 14, 2008 (Jacksonville is favored by 5.5)

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Comments

04' Opener

That last second loss to the Jags still haunts me. selfish Nate Clements wanting to seal the deal with an int. instead of knocking the ball down on 4th down. that game as much as the steelers game cost us a chance at the playoffs.

by gatornation on Sep 10, 2008 8:08 AM EDT 0 recs

Under todays rules...

We would have won that game. Great job by the NFL to get rid of a stupid rule (force out) but they did it a few years too late.

by BuffaloWill on Sep 10, 2008 8:14 AM EDT up 0 recs

Didn’t he get 2 feet in anyways? It never really looked like it until the slow-mo I thought. Ugh

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2008 10:59 AM EDT up 0 recs

Me too

I remember that game vividly. I went to my local bar, dragging my girlfriend along, and we sat in front of a TV in the corner of the room in the bar with the pool table. We had the TV to ourselves with sound and one of those touch screen picture games. My girlfriend played games, while I watched our game. I remember literally falling off my bar stool when they scored that TD. I was crushed.

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2008 11:01 AM EDT up 0 recs

I'll take those points

You have to imagine this is a very winnable game. Jags are always tough especially at home, but last year the Bills were hanging with them for 3 quarters with J.P. under center and Fairchild calling plays. Buffalo has only gotten better since then, and the Jags’ O-line is seriously beat up. If Buffalo plays the Jacksonville like they played the Hawks… well (I hate making predictions).

by Zumone on Sep 10, 2008 8:34 AM EDT 0 recs

JP's nail

Last year’s Jags game was the final nail in JP’s coffin. Garrard ( who had about the same amount of experience at the time) clearly outclassed and outplayed him and made it obvious that JP was out of chances.

Kent Hull for Hall of Fame

by bocephuz on Sep 10, 2008 9:35 AM EDT 0 recs

5 1/2 pts

I think that is a bit high, but with it being the Jags season opener, I could see how the oddsmakers could see that. If anyone gambles, I’d bet Buffalo with the points.

Otherwise though, this is going to be a big test. No matter the depletion of the Jags interior O line, the Bills need to go into another playoff caliber team’s home, and win. Dare I say must win? Maybe not, but it would be huge to do so.

The Bills CAN win every game

by killascript on Sep 10, 2008 10:00 AM EDT 0 recs

JP giveth (‘06) and JP taketh away (’07). We were driving to tie that game last year in the 4th Q until he threw that idiotic INT over the middle. We were able to get the ball back off a punt, and then he couldn’t get a 1st down. Ugh. I seem to recall him also fumbling a QB sneak in Jags territory towards the end of the first half. We had chances last year….

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2008 11:04 AM EDT 0 recs

we did

i was at that game last year, and despite the quick score by fred, we held on a critical 4th and short when MJD was runnin, and jp couldnt do anything with it. jp couldnt hit the broad side of a barn that game. and remember, last year no lynch, so thats a big difference right there.

Bills make me wanna SHOUT!

by silverstreak3k on Sep 10, 2008 12:43 PM EDT up 0 recs

Also

based on the last 4 games, it’s our turn to win….Bills W, Bills L, Bills W, Bills L, Bills ?

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2008 11:05 AM EDT 0 recs

mismatch

buffalo D-line vs. jags O-line is a major mismatch in our favor. as long as we can put up 17 points we win this game. the jags offence will be able to do absolutely nothing. garrard is in for a long day.

by theitalian on Sep 10, 2008 11:14 AM EDT 0 recs

Hold up

If their OL can protect Garrard unlike last week and unlike the Seahawks did, he will be able to take advantage of the size advantage his WR"s will have over our CB’s. Matt Jones and Reggie Williams, and maybe Jerry Porter if healty, will have a significant height advantage over Greer and McGee. This could be an issue for us if the Jags use the pass more, especially fades, jump balls and slants where they can use their size to outmuscle our guys.

I also expect the Jags to try running outside more with speedy Taylor and MoJo, which also relates to their WR size advantage. Our CB’s will need to fight to shed the blocks of those guys on outside rushes or we will see some big gains….

by Kurupt on Sep 10, 2008 11:24 AM EDT up 0 recs

i agree about WRs

I’m actually not worried about their running game, i like our front 7 against their line on the ground. But like you said, their WRs will out-muscle and out-jump our CBs all game unless we have a good plan of attack (and by attack I mean defense)

McKelvin and Hardy - rookies of the year

by poz on Sep 10, 2008 11:29 AM EDT up 0 recs

Whinter and KO must make them pay

I agree that the WRs may get some catches. But as long as we get pressure, they should only have time to complete the short routes. That leaves it up to the Bills LBs and DBs to lay the lumber on every hit. If they hear footsteps, they wouldn’t see the ball.

And yes, the new Avatar is a taunt to the Jags!

by Joe P. on Sep 10, 2008 11:58 AM EDT up 0 recs