Underdog Josh Allen looks for upset win, 5 things to know about Bills vs. Jaguars

The Buffalo Bills have reached the playoffs for the seventh straight year, a franchise record. They face a tall task in cooling off the blistering hot Jaguars.

Jan 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs onto the field before the game against the New York Jets at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

If it’s the NFL playoffs, it’s the Buffalo Bills.

The club is making its seventh straight playoff appearance, now the longest active streak in the league, and battles the surprising Jaguars at Jacksonville on Sunday. Sean McDermott’s squad enters the postseason as a wild card for the first time since 2019 as the Bills saw their five-year run as AFC East champions derailed by the New England Patriots.

It’s been another productive year for quarterback Josh Allen, although his penchant for turnovers made a comeback. The 2024 NFL MVP threw for 3,668 yards and 25 scores, and he rushed for 579 yards and 14 TDs. He also gave up the football 13 times, up five miscues from a year ago (8).

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The biggest issue for McDermott’s team in 2025 was a horrific run defense that allowed the fifth-most rushing yards in the league. That’s made life easier for many an opposing offense. On Sunday, they look to slow down a team led by first-time NFL head coach Liam Coen. The Jaguars finished sixth in the NFL with 474 points and enters this postseason clash riding an eight-game winning streak.

Bills vs. Jaguars history

It is obviously not a long history but it’s a bit of a storied one. If you include a pair pf postseason wins by the Jaguars, the franchises have split 20 total meetings (10-10) dating back to their initial encounter in 1996 AFC Wild Card Playoffs at Orchard Park. That afternoon, Tom Coughlin’s second-year team orchestrated a stunning upset of the Bills, 30-27. As for more recent times, the Jaguars were blasted by Josh Allen and company a week ago at Buffalo, 47-10, in Week 3. The Bills’ last appearance at Jacksonville resulted in a 9-6 loss in 2021.

Bills' postseason history

The Bills’ postseason history actually dates back to 1963 in the American Football League, when they lost an Eastern Division Playoff to the Boston Patriots. The franchise won the next two AFL titles (1964 and ’65), then lost the league championship game to the Chiefs, who would go on to play in Super Bowl I.

All told, the Bills are 21-22 lifetime in the postseason, including 7-7 during the McDermott Era (2017-24). That includes the latter’s first playoff game in 2017 at Jacksonville, a 10-3 setback to a Jaguars’ team that would eventually reach the AFC title game.

Buffalo Bills running back James Cook III breaks free of the pack on the first play of the first quarter against the Jets at home in Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Jan. 4, 2026. | Tina MacIntyre-Yee/Democrat and Chronicle / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Bills’ run game could get grounded

No team in the league ran for more yards than the Bills in 2025. Running back James Cook led the NFL with 1,621 yards on the ground. McDermott’s club ran for an impressive 159.6 yards per game. However, no team allowed fewer rushing yards per outing than the Jaguars (85.6)—ranked 25th vs. the run in 2024.

MORE: Bills' disappointing WR addition out for playoffs, gives Keon Coleman last chance

Jaguars’ quarterback Trevor Lawrence has been on a hot streak which coincides with the team’s current eight-game winning streak. In those victories, he’s completed 62.7 percent of his throws for 2,009 yards and 19 TD passes (5 interceptions). He’s run for 187 yards and five touchdowns, losing only one fumble.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during the fourth quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7, capturing the AFC South title. | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

All eyes on Bills’ QB Josh Allen

His personal postseason numbers are highly impressive. In 13 playoff outings, Buffalo’s Josh Allen has connected on 65.7 percent of his throws for 3,359 yards and 25 touchdowns, with only four picks. He’s also run for 668 and seven TDs and lost just two fumbles. Yet, the team owns a 7-6 mark in these games.

RELATED: Bills' most important offensive player other than Josh Allen not James Cook this week

A reversal of fortunes? In 2024, the Jaguars finished 4-13 and owned a minus-115 scoring differential. This season, Coen’s club won 13 games, and finished with a plus-138 point differential. The team totaled 474 points and 51 offensive TDs, quite a difference from 2024 (320 points and 32 offensive touchdowns).

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