Sunday’s Wild Card slate opens with a compelling clash as the sixth-seeded Buffalo Bills travel to take on the No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars. The all-time series is tied 10-10, including playoffs, though Jacksonville holds a 2-0 edge in postseason matchups.
Buffalo has dropped its last three trips to Jacksonville, including a 2017 Wild Card loss, while the Jaguars are unbeaten at home in Wild Card games, with their last playoff victory a 27-point comeback over the Chargers in 2022. Jacksonville enters Sunday on an eight-game winning streak to close the 2025 season, posting the NFL’s best point differential (+153) since Week 11. Buffalo, winners of five of its last six, is aiming to advance beyond last season’s AFC Championship Game appearance and make it seven straight playoff seasons.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen faces a familiar challenge: he is 0-4 in career road playoff games, with three of those losses coming to Kansas City. Despite the losses, Allen has produced at least 270 yards in each road playoff game, averaging 351 yards per contest, including a career-high 397-yard outing against the Chiefs in the 2021 Divisional Round.
Buffalo’s passing attack has lacked a clear deep threat in 2025, with Khalil Shakir, tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox, and veterans Gabe Davis and Brandin Cooks sharing the load. Second-year wideout Keon Coleman has underwhelmed, while Tyrell Shavers remains a situational option. The Jaguars’ pass defense ranks 21st in yards allowed, suggesting Allen could have a productive day if his receivers step up. Allen has won at least one playoff game in each of his five postseason appearances, the longest streak in NFL history for a player yet to reach a Super Bowl, but a road victory remains elusive.
Jacksonville’s success has been fueled by rookie head coach and offensive play-caller Liam Coen, who has revitalized Trevor Lawrence’s game. Lawrence posted career highs with 38 total touchdowns, while the Jaguars’ offense averaged a franchise-record 27.9 points per game.
Wide receivers Parker Washington, Brian Thomas Jr., and Jakobi Meyers have thrived, with Washington adding seven total touchdowns, including two punt returns, and emerging as a versatile X-factor. Tight end Brenton Strange has provided a reliable safety valve. Special teams could also play a role, as kicker Cam Little made the two longest field goals in NFL history this season, including a 68-yarder in Week 11 and a 67-yarder in Week 18.
The ground game may be decisive. Buffalo’s James Cook, the NFL’s rushing leader in 2025, will face the league’s top run defense, which has allowed just 85.6 rushing yards per game and 68.0 yards to running backs. The Jaguars’ rushing attack, led by Travis Etienne, has faltered in recent weeks, averaging just 3.6 yards per carry since Week 10, but their eight-game winning streak demonstrates they can still win without a dominant ground performance.
The Bills’ defense has struggled against the run, giving up 136.2 yards per game, making it critical for Buffalo to limit Jacksonville’s rushing efficiency. Maintaining control on the ground could allow Allen to dictate the pace, using Cook and his own playmaking ability to exploit Jacksonville’s secondary. Sunday’s matchup will likely hinge on which offense can impose its will and whether Allen can finally break through on the road in the playoffs.
