Five takeaways from Buffalo Bills' snap counts in Wild Card win

After a thrilling victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Wild Card Round, the Buffalo Bills are headed to Denver to face the Broncos in the Divisional Round on January 17 at 4:30 p.m. ET.

With the release of Buffalo's snap counts from Sunday's win, the Bills have began to show what players they want on the field with the season on the line.

WR hierarchy

Khalil Shakir dominated the snaps at wide receiver, as he was on the field for 45 of 63 offensive plays (71%). The next closest receivers were Tyrell Shavers at 54% and Brandin Cooks at 48%.

It appears that the trio of Shakir, Shavers, and Cooks is Joe Brady's go-to group in 11-personnel, and for good reason. Shakir is a do-it-all slot weapon that offers amazing run-after-catch ability, while Cooks' ability to stretch the field vertically is something the offense has been lacking. Shavers does all of the small things right and is a great blocker.

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These three will be relied on even more during Buffalo's playoff run with the injury to Gabriel Davis.

Jan 11, 2026; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Brandin Cooks (18) catches a pass against the Jacksonville Jaguars during the second half in an AFC Wild Card Round game | Melina Myers-Imagn Images

Tight End rotation

It was a true 1A and 1B situation at TE against the Jaguars, with Dawson Knox playing 30 snaps and Dalton Kincaid playing 28.

Rookie Jackson Hawes was also on the field for 22 plays, showing that the Bills will take full advantage of having one of the best TE trios in the NFL. Look for more heavy personnel packages next week against the Broncos, as Buffalo's run game looks to get back on track.

Age is just a number

Buffalo's defense was led by a group of veterans all over the age of 30. Shaq Thompson, Matt Milano, and Tre'Davious White played 100% of defensive snaps on Sunday, and their precense was felt by the Jags.

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White turned back the clock with three passes defensed, including the breakup that led to Cole Bishop's game-sealing interception. Milano totaled six tackles and three defensive stops, along with a pass breakup. Thompson led the team with eight total tackles and recorded his first career postseason interception.

Tre was FLYING yesterday https://t.co/xk3H5sXPxq
— Colin Richey (@ColinRichey_NFL) January 12, 2026

Uneven DT rotation

A hallmark of Sean McDermott's defense is the rotation of the front four, but the team strayed from that tendency on Sunday.

Greg Rousseau, Deone Walker, and DaQuan Jones all played 70% of snaps or more along the defensive line. Joey Bosa (55%) and AJ Epenesa (41%) both saw over 20 snaps, but the backup defensive tackles were rarely on the field.

Rookie TJ Sanders played just 17 snaps, while Phidarian Mathis saw just six. With Larry Ogunjobi being a healthy inactive for the game, the Bills clearly felt they needed to rely on their top defensive tackle pairing of Walker and Jones to counter Jacksonville's rushing attack.

Relying on rookie safety

Jordan Poyer played 23 snaps before injuring his hamstring, an injury that would sideline him for the remainder of the game. Rookie safety Jordan Hancock played the final 33 snaps in place of the veteran, the second highest of his young career.

Trevor Lawrence picked on the fifth rounder in coverage, targeting the Ohio State product three times, completing all three attempts for 63 yards.

Hancock did display his versatility, lining up at free safety, in the box, on the defensive line, and in the slot on Sunday. With the potential for Poyer to be sidelined for multiple weeks, Hancock will be competing against Cam Lewis and Darnell Savage to start opposite Cole Bishop next week.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) rushes for yards against Buffalo Bills cornerback Jordan Hancock (37) during the second quarter of an NFL football AFC Wild Card playoff matchup, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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