Hays Carlyon's Jaguars Blog

Jaguars vs. Bills Week 5 live blog

todayOctober 8, 2023

Background

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2) take on the Buffalo Bills (3-1) at 9:30 a.m. EST on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Follow along here for live updates and key highlights from the game!

First quarter

Jacksonville received the opening kickoff. Trevor Lawrence started the day with two tight end completions, to Luke Farrell for 16 then Evan Engram for 9, but then Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby got stuffed on back-to-back plays. The Jaguars were forced to punt on 4th-and-1.

Buffalo’s offense began with a 5-yard James Cook run and 3-yard Stefon Diggs catch, but Josh Allen missed Cook on a short sideline pass on 3rd-and-2. The Bills punted right back.

The Jaguars got things starting on its second drive. Calvin Ridley took an end-around for 11 yards, Lawrence hit Christian Kirk downfield for 30 yards, and Etienne rattled off consecutive 9-yard totes. Jacksonville ultimately cashed in with a sweet 6-yard touchdown to Zay Jones. Etienne walked in for the 2-point conversion after Buffalo’s Ed Oliver was penalized for roughing the passer to move the marker to the 1-yard line.

Jaguars 8, Bills 0

Unfortunately, Walker Little injured his knee late in the drive and is questionable to return. Tyler Shatley took his spot at left guard.

Mike Caldwell’s defense forced a second three-and-out to make Buffalo punt back yet again. Cook lost a yard on a run, then Allen completed two five-yard passes to tight ends.

On Jacksonville’s third possession, Lawrence completed a 20-yard pass to Kirk and a 14-yarder to Ridley. He slightly underthrew Engram on a potential touchdown that was broken up by Buffalo’s Dane Jackson, but it was just his third incompletion of the game (the first was dropped by Etienne and the second was batted at the line). Brandon McManus finished the 9-play drive with a 44-yard field goal.

Jaguars 11, Bills 0

Buffalo finally picked up its first first down before the end of the first quarter. But two plays later, Jacksonville’s coverage made an outstanding effort on 3rd-and-3 to make the Bills punt again.

Second quarter

Engram picked up a close third down that was challenged by Buffalo, but the ruling on the field stood. The Bills were able to get the Jaguars off the field on an ensuing 3rd-and-9 after a perfect pass slipped through Jones’ hands.

Diggs got things going for the Bills with a 15-yard catch, then Gabriel Davis hauled in a 9-yarder on first down. But Rayshawn Jenkins sniffed out Cook for a 6-yard loss on 2nd-and-1 to bring up 3rd-and-7, where a Jaguars blitz forced Josh Allen to throw hot to running back Latavius Murray for a mere 1-yard gain. With less than eight minutes left in the first half, Jacksonville’s defense has allowed two first downs and Buffalo is 1-for-5 on third downs.

Lawrence connected with Farrell for 19 yards on a play action bootleg, but it was called back for Anton Harrison being too far downfield. The Jaguars went three-and-out and punted back to Buffalo.

Buffalo got across midfield for the first time behind a 19-yard throw to Deonte Harty and 18-yard toss to Cook. Josh Allen beat Josh Allen on the edge for a 3rd-and-1 conversion to set the Bills up on the Jags’ 31-yard line with two minutes left in the half. Three plays later, Diggs beat Tyson Campbell on a press release and came down with a 15-yard touchdown catch.

Jaguars 11, Bills 7

Lawrence marched Jacksonville down the field with a 10-yard pickup to Etienne, 7-yard bullet to Jones, 22-yard catch-and-run to Etienne, 16-yard shot to Ridley, and 8-yard dumpoff to Kirk. But after a near touchdown to Ridley, Buffalo’s A.J. Epenesa ruined the gorgeous drive with a strip sack and fumble recovery.

Third quarter

Diggs started the second half with a 14-yard catch, but the Jaguars allowed zero yards in the next three plays to force a Buffalo punt.

The Bills pinned the Jaguars on its own 11-yard line, but a holding penalty by Montaric Brown on the punt pushed Jacksonville back to its own 6, and a false start by Cam Robinson pushed them to the 3. Etienne rushed for 2 yards, then a screen to Kirk was tipped, then the third down pass to Ridley fell incomplete — but a flag for unnecessary roughness fell alongside the ball and gave the Jaguars a new set of downs. (Ridley was evaluated for a concussion bur cleared to return.) Lawrence then scrambled for 11 yards and Etienne scampered for 31. But Lawrence took a bad sack to lose 7 yards, and an aborted snap cost the Jags another 19. On 3rd-and-36, Bigsby picked up 7 yards.

Diggs picked up yet another first-play-of-the-drive first down, this time going for 48 yards over Jacksonville’s entire defense. But then James Cook was pushed out of bounds by Foye Olukoun for no gain, Davis dropped a 10-yard pass, and Allen had an unsuccessful scramble drill on 3rd-and-10 that was emphasized by a holding penalty by Buffalo’s Connor McGovern. Jamal Agnew called for a fair catch at the 8-yard line.

Ridley got going with two big third-down catches to move the Jaguars to its own 36-yard line. Kirk later had back-to-back catches on a third down option route and first down bullet pass. Lawrence tried a quarterback sneak on 2nd-and-2 and Etienne converted on 3rd-and-1. Ridley picked up another first down, but Jacksonville’s 17-play drive finally ended when Lawrence lost another fumble, this time on a strip sack by Buffalo’s Ed Oliver.

Fourth quarter

On the next play, rookie Dalton Kincaid picked up 15 yards over the middle of the field. But after a 5-yard carry by Damien Harris, Josh Allen picked up a holding penalty against Dion Dawkins (who left the game earlier with an ankle injury) to force the Bills into 2nd-and-15, Rayshawn Jenkins shut down a pass attempt to Knox, and Darious William MOSSED Diggs with an arm punt interception on 3rd-and-long. Mike Caldwell is putting on a masterclass.

Jacksonville’s next possession felt all over the place protection-wise. On the first play, Lawrence dodged pressure from the right side and rifled a pass to Ridley for 20 yards. Lawrence had multiple scramble drills: a 3rd-and-5 throw on the move to Etienne plus rushes of 7, 0, and 5 yards. Etienne carried the remainder of the drive, with a 10-yard rush on 3rd-and-5, an 11-yard rush on 1st-and-10, and a 6-yard rush for a touchdown on three straight plays.

Jaguars 18, Bills, 7

Buffalo put together a 9-play, 81-yard drive that was capped off by a 19-yard score by Davis. Josh Allen sacked Josh Allen earlier in the drive on a 3rd-and-1, but an unnecessary roughness call gave the Bills a critical first down. Fortunately, Darious Williams made a great open-field tackle on Buffalo’s two-point conversion attempt to keep a touchdown lead. The Jaguars will get the ball back with about four minutes remaining.

Jaguars 18, Bills 13

Cam Robinson left the game with an elbow injury and is questionable to return. But good news came soon after, as Lawrence connected with Ridley on a 32-yard slot fade on 3rd-and-4 and Etienne housed a 35-yarder two plays later.

Jaguars 25, Bills 13

Buffalo got the ball back with 2:56 remaining and got into the endzone before the tw0-minute warning behind a 43-yard bomb to Harty, 29-yard shot to Davis, and 3-yard rushing touchdown by Allen. Happens quick.

Jaguars 25, Bills 20

The Bills tried an onside kick but it went out of bounds Buffalo’s 49-yard line. Etienne rushed three straight times for just four total yards, and the Jaguars punted back to the Bills with 22 seconds left in the game.

Allen completed a pass downfield to Diggs, who desperately lateralled the ball. Travon Walker recovered the fumble to secure the victory.

FINAL SCORE: Jaguars 25, Bills 20

Written by: Gus Logue


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