The Buffalo Bills are back in action today, hosting the Jacksonville Jaguars in a rematch of last year’s AFC Wildcard Playoff game. The Jaguars won that matchup 10-3 to kickstart a playoff run that culminated in a loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
While Buffalo finished the 2017 NFL season at 9-7 and Jacksonville finished at 10-6 (12-7 if you want to count their playoff games), both teams have fallen on hard times in 2018. The Bills and Jaguars sport identical 3-7 records through ten games, but each team has taken a different path in crashing back down to Earth after last year’s successes.
Buffalo has never been closer to a .500 record than they were after 5 games, when they sat at 2-3 after a 13-12 victory over the Tennessee Titans. Quarterback Josh Allen injured his throwing elbow the following week, and the Bills lost 4 consecutive games before righting the ship against the New York Jets. The Jaguars began the year 3-1, but have lost 6 consecutive games. During that stretch, their offense has struggled mightily, and their defense has not been able to hold up as a result.
If that sounds familiar, that’s because the same thing could be said about Buffalo. Both teams have had some truly offensive offensive showings thus far this year, letting down solid defenses in the process.
Your first half thread is here, Bills fans, after a one-week hiatus. Sit back, relax, and watch Josh Allen, LeSean McCoy and the Bills’ offense try to stay on track against Jalen Ramsey and the Jacksonville defense.
Go Bills!