As the Buffalo Bills sleepwalked through an awful first half against the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was difficult to tell which team is 5-5 and fighting for the playoffs, and which team is playing out the string at 2-8. Trailing 7-6, the Bills need to figure things out quickly.
A restless home crowd at New Era Field has voiced its disappointment loudly and consistently. In Buffalo’s first home game in a month, they have been constantly showered with much-deserved boos.
A long Brandon Tate punt return salvaged an otherwise dreadful performance by the Bills’ offense. Giving the Bills great field position on their last drive, it still took a big fourth down conversion by Jonathan Williams to give the team a shot at a touchdown. LeSean McCoy ran for a touchdown off an option pitch by Tyrod Taylor. Dan Carpenter swiftly followed up his special teams player of the week performance by missing an extra point, leaving Jacksonville in the lead at the break.
The Bills’ offense has failed to find traction all day, turning in a listless performance against a stout Jacksonville defense. Taylor has been under pressure from the start, and the offensive line has struggled both in pass protection and in opening holes for the running game. As a result, McCoy has been held mostly in check.
Aside from a brutal showing on the first drive, the defense has been fairly solid. This also coincides with an injury to Chris Ivory, who shredded the Bills’ defense before leaving with a hamstring injury.
It will take a tremendous turnaround in the second half to salvage a victory against a hungry Jacksonville team. Keep the conversation going in the comments below.