JACKSONVILLE – This is a big ask at an important, difficult time. A difficult prime time.

The Jaguars need a victory on Monday Night Football to avoid an unexpected, disappointing 0-3 start to the 2024 regular season. That makes this game really important.

The opponent is what makes it difficult.

That's because the opponent is the Buffalo Bills, a team that features one of the NFL's best two or three quarterbacks – the versatile, tough Josh Allen – and a team that has been one of the AFC's best for the last half decade.

Few will favor the Jaguars. The Bills are at home in prime time, and – despite an offseason transitioning many positions – have won their first two regular-season games impressively. They are running well. Allen is elite. The defensive front is really good. Some observers questioned before the season if the Bills should be favored to win a fifth consecutive AFC East title. Ferfewer question that now.

But the biggest reason few will favor the Jaguars Monday is they have not played to expectations in the season's first two games. They lost a fourteen-point lead in Week 1 before losing to the Miami Dolphins, 20-17, on a 52-yard field goal on the final play. The rallied from a 16-3 deficit in Week 2 before losing 18-13 to the Cleveland Browns – a home opener in which the offense struggled enough that quarterback Trevor Lawrence said following the game, "We suck right now."

That's a difficult way to enter a big early-season game against an NFL power. And it's a big ask for the Jaguars to win. But they're capable of winning. And they need to win.

Here are 10 things the Jaguars must do to make that happen:

1. Rally around – and listen to – Lawrence. This may be the theme of the week. Lawrence following the loss to the Browns was as irritated and pointed as he has been in four seasons as the Jaguars' starter. He appeared fed up with what has been a sloppy, ineffective offense thus far this season. Good on him for saying it. Now, teammates must listen and respond.
2. Get better at quarterback. Lawrence was the first to say last Sunday that he also must play better. He particularly still must make better decisions while in the pocket. And even when the offensive line is struggling, he must make plays when he has time.
3. Get the ball to BTJ. Jaguars rookie wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has made the key play on all three Jaguars touchdown drives this season. He's showing big-timer. Give him more opportunities to show more.
4. Get plays in on time. It's difficult to explain why the Jaguars' offense starts plays so often so close to the play clock being at zero. Whatever the explanation, this area needs to improve.
5. Force turnovers. The Jaguars have allowed 20 and 16 points in the first two games, with two points against Cleveland coming on a late safety. That's good enough to win. But great defenses force turnovers and this defense hasn't forced one yet.
6. Get Kirk involved. Wide receiver Christian Kirk has had a few uncharacteristic drops this season. That's unlikely to be the norm. But he hasn't been involved enough with the offense – and when he's not involved, the offense feels off.
7. Convert third downs. One reason the Jaguars' offense has lacked identity this season is it has run just 105 plays in two games. When you run few plays, it's hard to have identity. When you struggled to convert third down, it's hard to run a lot of plays.
8. Get right up front. The Jaguars' offensive line has struggled at times the first two games. Missed assignments. Just getting beat. Miscommunication. Whatever the issue, this area must improve.
9. Score in the red zone. A fumble by running back Travis Etienne Jr. at the Dolphins three-yard-line turned into a touchback Week 1. The Jaguars settled twice for field goals after reaching the Browns two-yard line. For all else that ails the Jaguars, if they score touchdowns on those three drives, we're probably discussing an unbeaten team.
10. Make. A. Play. The Jaguars have lost seven of eight games and the outcome too often has come down to their best players not making big enough plays. This is a players' league. At some point, players must make plays and win the darned game. Make a play.