Five 'Key Plays' Examined From Jaguars Week 3 Loss to Bills Under the Lights

Sep 24, 2024 at 12:48 AM

John Oehser

Jaguars Senior Writer

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. – Senior writer John Oehser examines five key plays from the Jaguars’ 47-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a 2024 Week 3 game at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y., Monday

1A. Turnover time. The game was already one-sided late in the first half. Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence's first turnover in three games allowed the Bills to make it more so. The Bills, after scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions, led 19-3 when a two-yard sneak on fourth-and-1 gave the Jaguars first-and-10 at their 41 with 4:28 remaining in the half. Lawrence on the ensuing play overthrew rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. with safety Damar Hamlin intercepting at the Bills 40. Hamlin returned the interception to the Jaguars 41. Bills quarterback Josh Allen's third touchdown pass of the game – a 27-yarder to wide receiver Khalil Shakir – gave the Bills a 27-3 lead with 2:04 remaining in the half. "I'm not playing as good as I can play – just point blank," Lawrence said. "This was a game where the defense needed us to make some plays to get some momentum, to settle in and keep the ball, to put some points on the board, to give them a little breather. That really hurt us. We have to make the plays. It's that simple. This game is hard, but it's not that hard. We made it look really, really hard today. We're a lot better than that."

1B. Fourth and uh oh. The Bills drove steadily and impressively for an early lead on the game's first drive, seizing the momentum the Jaguars wanted to establish early. The Bills ran efficiently and had receivers open consistently out of the backfield, with a six-yard run by running back James Cook capping a 70-yard drive for a 6-0 lead with 9:34 remaining in the first quarter. Jaguars defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris blocked the extra point. The drive's key play: A 12-yard swing pass from Allen to wide receiver Khalil Shakir on fourth-and-3 from the Jaguars 44. Allen also converted third-and-5 from the Jaguars 15 with a nine-yard run through a wide open middle of the line.

2. Methodical, methodical, methodical. The problem for the Jaguars Monday was the Bills didn't take control of the game with big plays as much as they were just steady and effective. The Bills loved as methodically on their second drive as they did on their first, taking a 13-0 lead when tight end Dalton Kincaid caught a six-yard touchdown from Allen in the back of the end zone. Allen maneuvered in the pocket on the play, allowing Kincaid time to cross the field and get his feet in bounds in the back corner of the end zone. The methodical Bills pushed the lead to 20-3 on their next series with a 24-yard pass from Allen to rookie wide receiver Keon Coleman with 6:19 remaining in the second quarter. The Bills had outgained the Jaguars 208-48 at that point.

4. Another drive, another touchdown. Make no mistake: The Bills were so dominant and efficient Monday that there really weren't any "key" plays or even "key" drives. Allen was impressive throughout the first half and he remained that way late in the second quarter. The Bills already led by twenty-four points as the Bills drove in the final two minutes. Allen capped a four-touchdown first half with a 16-yard touchdown pass to running back Ty Johnson that gave the Bills a 34-3 lead with :19 remaining in the half. Allen completed 22 of 28 passes for 247 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions and a 143.0 rating in the half.

5. Touchdown time. If anything could be described as "too little too late," it was whatever the Jaguars did after trailing 34-3 at halftime Monday. But they did turn in an impressive drive on the first possession of the second half Monday – a drive that ended with an eight-yard touchdown pass from Lawrence to tight end Brenton Strange, a second-year veteran who continues to play well in place of injured veteran Evan Engram. One key play on the drive: A two-yard run by running back Tank Bigsby, who showed impressive effort turning fourth-and-1 from the Bills 39 into a first down. Lawrence found wide receiver Christian Kirk for 24 yards on the ensuing play, with an unnecessary roughness penalty on Hamlin moving the ball to the Bills' eight to set up Strange's touchdown.