Jaguars Have One Clear Advantage Over Bills in Playoff Battle

The Jacksonville Jaguars and Buffalo Bills are moving in two different areas before Sunday's playoff game.

Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen reacts to having to take a timeout after a bobbled play during the third fourth in an NFL football game at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, November 16, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars are just two more sleeps away from their playoff battle with the Buffalo Bills, and a clear picture is starting to develop.

When it comes to the playoff tilt between the Jaguars and Bills at EverBank Stadium, though, the Jaguars have seemingly built one clear advantage: the injury report.

Jaguars Injury Updates

The Jaguars have just one player on their injury report with a game status for the playoff battle: left tackle Cole Van Lanen, who injured his right knee in the Jaguars' Week 18 win over the Tennessee Titans. Van Lanen missed the first two practices of the week, but worked to the side on Friday and was officially listed as limited.

Otherwise, no Jaguars players are listed as ... anything. Right guard Patrick Mekari has missed the last two games with a back injury, but he returned to practice this week and is set to play and start at right guard. That means if the Jaguars are missing Cole Van Lanen on Sunday, they will have Walker Little at left tackle and Mekari at right guard.

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Cole Van Lanen (70) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

“Yeah, look, we wouldn't be in the position we were at without Walker Little. Like without a lot of these guys that have obviously helped us get to where we are. And he’s been able to play multiple positions for us, be flexible with kind of that rotation, be able to step in, play right guard for us, play it at a pretty good click for us for a few games, never having really played it before," Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said on Friday.

"And then have to potentially slide back over to left at times. That's just the way it goes. And I think that that's something that you appreciate in an offensive lineman. You appreciate the selflessness, you appreciate the team first mentality typically of offensive linemen because their number one job is to protect: to protect the back, to protect the quarterback and to protect this team and this organization. So, when you have a selfless group that has a team first mentality like Walker does and like the rest of that group does, it typically helps you succeed.”

Nov 23, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Walker Little (72) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Meanwhile, the Bills' injury report has quite a few more names on it. The Bills listed three players as out: linebacker Terrel Bernard, cornerback Maxwell Hairston, and safety Demar Hamlin. The Bills also listed three players as questionable: wide receiver Josh Palmer, kicker Matt Prater, and linebacker Shaq Thompson.

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