JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Grading the Buffalo Bills in their 9-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at TIAA Bank Field. Buckle up …
Running game: F
The Bills simply cannot run the ball when quarterback Josh Allen turns around and hands it to a running backs. Devin Singletary rushed six times for 18 yards. Zack Moss was even worse, gaining 6 yards on three carries before being forced from the game with a concussion. That includes a gain of 7 yards on a give-up, third-and-20 draw near the end of the first half. Allen did gain 50 yards on five carries, but the quarterback can’t continue to cover up the obvious deficiencies on the ground. To be fair to Singletary and Moss, they rarely had a chance to do much of anything. The offensive line’s run blocking was atrocious. Ike Boettger absolutely whiffed on a block on a first-down carry by Moss inside the Jaguars’ 5-yard line in the first quarter, and the tone was set from there. It’s time to either give Matt Breida a chance or call up Antonio Williams from the practice squad, because what the Bills are doing right now in the run game is failing miserably.
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Passing game: F
Allen finished 31 of 47 for 264 yards and two interceptions – a passer rating of 62.7 that was his worst since a Week 14 loss to Baltimore in 2019. He was sacked four times for a total loss of 35 yards, and if it weren’t for his scrambling ability, that number would have been a lot higher. Again, blame the offensive line. Cole Beasley had eight catches … for just 33 yards. That's hard to fathom. He also had a crucial drop on a day in which the offense absolutely could not afford it. The Bills finally remembered Stefon Diggs was on their team in the fourth quarter. He finished with six catches for 85 yards. What might those numbers have looked like had they looked his way more than twice through the first three quarters?
Run defense: A-
It was another strong effort from this group, although that was expected against a Jacksonville team that was without its top running back, James Robinson. Star Lotulelei had four tackles, including one for a loss on Jacksonville’s second series. Lotulelei, however, also took a rare defensive holding penalty on a Jacksonville run play. Jerry Hughes forced a fumble by Jaguars running back Carlos Hyde that was recovered by Levi Wallace, stopping a Jacksonville drive that looked destined for points.
Pass defense: A-
Tremaine Edmunds lost coverage on Jaguars receiver Jamal Agnew on Jacksonville’s first possession, leading to a 23-yard gain on a fourth-and-2 play.
“We got our hands on a couple balls, in particular myself early in the game,” Edmunds said. “You know, there’s a couple of plays I definitely left out there. Sacking the quarterback, I believe I left out there, and I mean, we couldn't find a way to take the ball away.”
The Bills did hold Jaguars rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence to 118 yards on just 15-of-26 passing. Lawrence was also sacked twice, but did not beat his own team by turning the ball over. Mario Addison had one of those sacks on third down. A.J. Epenesa and Tre'Davious White split the other sack. By and large, the Bills’ defensive effort should have been good enough for a win.
Special teams: B+
Isaiah McKenzie was solid on his kick returns, averaging 32.2 yards on four attempts, with a long of 45 yards that gave the offense good field position. Tyler Bass continued his excellent season by hitting both of his field-goal attempts. Punter Matt Haack averaged just 38.0 net yards on his three attempts. With a chance to pin the Jaguars deep in their own end in the fourth quarter, Haack punted it into the end zone. The Bills needed a better effort there. All three of Bass’ kickoffs went for touchbacks. That was smart coaching, because Agnew is one of the more dangerous returners in the NFL.
Coaching: F
Let’s not sugarcoat things: This was easily the worst loss of Sean McDermott’s career as the Bills’ coach in the regular season. The team wasn’t ready to play – and that falls directly at the feet of the head coach. The Bills are an undisciplined football team at the moment – again, the head coach has to own that. Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll’s group has no identity right now. The only trip to the red zone failed, and the offense continues to look as lost as ever near the goal line. The Bills also played maddeningly conservative at the end of the first half. Taking over on their 20-yard line with 1:26 left and no timeouts, the Bills gained 12 yards on two plays and took nearly a minute off the clock. The decision not to push for a score in that sequence was inexplicable. McDermott owned up to making the wrong decision to allow the Jaguars to attempt a 55-yard field goal in the second quarter instead of accepting a penalty and allowing the defense to try to get a stop on what would have been third-and-15 against a rookie quarterback. The analytics also suggested punting on fourth-and-7 from the Jacksonville 48-yard line with 10:04 remaining in the fourth quarter was the wrong call, although, admittedly, it was tough to have any faith in the offense at that point.
