The Buffalo Bills are going on the road to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in the opening round of the playoffs. Buffalo squeaked in with the No. 6 seed, and plenty of national narratives surrounding the team are if not now, when for the Buffalo Bills. It’s a lame narrative that needs to die, but it’s a narrative nonetheless. Quarterback Josh Allen has been a full participant in practice with reports that his foot is the best he’s felt in a while, giving fans an extra reason to celebrate ahead of Sunday.

With Jacksonville hosting Buffalo, and having the No. 1 rushing defense in the league going against the No. 1 rushing offense in the league, I sat down with A to Z Sports Jacksonville writer Justin Churchuill to answer some key questions heading into Sunday. Where Buffalo can slow down Jacksonville, the keys to Buffalo running successfully, and how the team can utilize Allen and tight end Dalton Kincaid in the matchup. Without further ado, let’s get after it.

How can the Buffalo Bills slow down the Jacksonville Jaguars on offense?

The key to slowing down the Jaguars is making them work for everything. However, if you can make the passing game extremely hard and force Lawrence to make some errors, this game is more than winnable for Buffalo. Put pressure on him inside the pocket, play great coverage on the great receivers he has, and make everything as tough as it gets. Lawrence finished the season on a tear and was honestly one of the better quarterbacks in football the last few weeks. However, he threw way too many interceptions during the year and just turned the ball over way too much. Oftentimes, those turnovers happened because he was trying to do too much, which was also a result of the defenses he played, making things extremely hard on him. If you give him all day in the pocket, it will be a long day. He will pick apart the defense, whether it’s with that talented arm or his legs.

What is the key to Buffalo running successfully against the No. 1 rush defense in the NFL

The Bills will have to identify where Foye Oluokun is at all times, as well as elite edge rushers Joshua Hines-Allen and Travon Walker. All of those guys are what get this elite run-stopping defense going. The Jaguars rely on them, as well as some of their big defensive tackles, who are used as space eaters, to close gaps in the run game. If they want to get the run game going, Buffalo will have to have its offensive line play as well as it has all year. Buffalo should try to set up the run game with play action. I know, that sounds backwards. However, use play-action to deceive the Jags’ defense and open up the pass game. When they start playing too passively in the run game because of the game, Buffalo will have to attack immediately. This chess match will be so fun to watch.

Do the Jaguars have an answer for shutting down Dalton Kincaid and Josh Allen?

Josh Allen? No. Allen does whatever he wants, whether it’s through the air, and if that’s not working, on the ground. He’s one of the very best players in the league. As for Kincaid, I believe they do. They have some of the best defense on tight ends in football, and that’s because of the linebackers and safeties they have, who are able to play on coverage. LB Devin Lloyd has been one of the very best in the league at covering tight ends. He played an incredible game against Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce earlier in the year, and actually had a pick-six.

Final score prediction for the Wild Card matchup

Jaguars 23, Buffalo 21

I feel like the thin-ice style of football the Bills have been playing all year long will come back to beat them. They’ve “gotten by” with just barely beating some pretty bad teams this year, and the defense hasn’t really helped Josh Allen as much as he’d maybe like. The Jaguars feel like the more complete team in this game, and I think they continue their hot streak, not to mention, they’re playing at home. – Justin Churchill, A to Z Sports Jacksonville

Buffalo 21, Jags 28

This game can truly go either way. It’s the No. 1 rushing defense versus the No. 1 rushing offense. Buffalo will want to get the ground game going regardless of the opponent, as they have one of the best running backs in the game in James Cook. Though this game will come down to whether Josh Allen can put on his Superman cape once again, Buffalo hopes to walk out of Jacksonville with their first road playoff win since the 1990s. It’ll be a slugfest, coming down to the wire. Allen and Kincaid are going to have a monster performance that will help lead Buffalo to a narrow victory. – Adam Zientek, A to Z Sports Buffalo

Buffalo Bills News

Bills face growing risk of losing a top coach to a hated AFC rival as offseason pressure builds

Could this be the end of Joe Brady in Buffalo?

Adam Zientek