What a Playoff Win (and Loss) Means for Jaguars vs. Bills

The Jacksonville Jaguars are looking to make a deep postseason run, starting with a win against the Buffalo Bills.

Sep 23, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) calls signals against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The excitement continues to build as the realization comes to fruition: the Jacksonville Jaguars will be in a playoff game this weekend. One year after finishing 4-13, a new regime led by head coach Liam Coen turned the franchise around with a 13-4 record and the AFC South title in a division many expected to be run by the Houston Texans and quarterback C.J. Stroud.

Now, the Jaguars are in the spotlight, small market team and all, set to host one of the powerhouses of the NFL, the Buffalo Bills, to begin the postseason. Buffalo has been as dominant as it has been because of superstar signal-caller Josh Allen, and that won't be changing anytime soon, though, in an AFC postseason without Patrick Mahomes, both franchises feel as though their time is now. Let's look at what a win (and a loss) would mean for the Jaguars on Sunday.

What a win means for the Jaguars

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) proudly wears his AFC South Division Champions hat during the fourth quarter in an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Titans 41-7 [Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union] | Doug Engle/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the first time since before the turn of the millennium, Jacksonville and its fans feel as though their team could be the one to reach the Super Bowl in a wide-open AFC playoffs. Their team has won eight straight games and nine of their last 10, all while sporting the AFC's hottest player of December, Trevor Lawrence, who has begun to reach his potential as the former top draft choice five years ago.

A win for the Jaguars would mean the dethroning of a powerhouse in the Bills and an advancement in the postseason to face either the New England Patriots or host the divisional round themselves. It would be another monumental step for Coen and the franchise, shedding the 'laughingstock' label that has plagued them for most of the 21st century. Plus, a win would spark serious discussions about the team going from worst to first and reaching Super Bowl LX.

What a loss would mean for the Jaguars

Oct 19, 2025; London, United Kingdom; Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen looks on during the second half of an NFL International Series game at Wembley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Jacksonville is used to disappointment over the years, whether it be the 2023-2024 collapse of the Doug Pederson era or the 2018 campaign following their AFC Championship appearance the season before. A loss to the Bills on Sunday would be among the most disappointing results of a Jaguars campaign this century, considering much of the in-season success and momentum in the second half of the year.

However, a loss would also mark the 2025 season as a stepping stone, and something to look back on as what the future may hold for the Jaguars organization in the years to come. Win or lose, Jacksonville is heading in the right direction, with possible overachievement this year, but expected success in the years following.

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