It was a banner day for Josh Allen, but not the one you would think, as it was the Jaguars’ Allen who helped lead the way to Jacksonville’s first win on American soil since Week 1 of the 2020 season.
Jacksonville kicker Matthew Wright contributed all nine points in the 9-6 victory over the Buffalo Bills. The Jags now rise to 2-6, while Buffalo falls to 5-3.
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Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
The Trevor Lawrence era in Jacksonville hasn’t gone at all as fans anticipated. This came to a head when the Clemson product injured his ankle in the first half. Backup quarterback CJ Beathard had to enter the game for a few plays, though he looked good enough.
Regardless, Lawrence returned and finished the day with an average passing day, going 15-of-26 for 118 yards and two turnover-worthy plays. Lawrence has the ability to be a great NFL quarterback, but as has been the case for most of the season, today just wasn't his day.
Running Back
James Robinson sat out of today’s game with an injury, which forced Jacksonville to turn to the passing attack. Still, Carlos Hyde did see some action. The running back rushed 21 times for 67 yards, with 47 of those yards coming after contact. The veteran running back moved the chains three times and forced one missed tackle.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Tight end Dan Arnold seemed to be the only bright spot for the Jacksonville receiving corps. Since he arrived in Duval County, he’s been building a solid rapport with Lawrence, with the first overall pick generating a 100.6 passer rating targeting his tight end. Arnold caught four of his six targets for 60 yards today, with two of his targets going for 15 or more yards.
Before the season started, Laviska Shenault Jr. was supposed to be one of the best pass-catchers on the team. Unfortunately, he hasn’t lived up to the hype, and that was clear today. Shenault caught four of his five targets for just 24 yards.
Offensive Line
It was a long day for the Jacksonville line. While they only allowed three total pressures, none of the linemen earned a PFF grade above 63.0 on first review.
The highest-graded offensive lineman was Andrew Norwell, who finished the day at 62.9. Norwell tallied only one negatively graded pass-blocking snap.
Pass-blocking as a whole was much better across the board. Four of the five starters graded above 70.0, and Norwell finished with an 80.9.
Defensive Line
A bright side of today’s game was a historical sack at the end of the first half. Jacksonville’s Josh Allen became the first player in NFL history to sack a player of the same name.
JOSH ALLEN SACKS JOSH ALLEN.@JoshAllen41_
????: #BUFvsJAX on CBS
????: NFL app pic.twitter.com/IKJDcTEn1z— NFL (@NFL) November 7, 2021
Aside from this, the Jaguars' edge rusher recorded six tackles and four hurries. He also managed to snag his first career interception against the Bills’ Allen and recover the quarterback’s fumble. He was the highest-graded Jaguars lineman, at 79.5 on first review.
As a whole, the unit had 21 total pressures, including four sacks and 15 hurries.
Linebacker
Since the Bills tend to lean on their passing game, it’s essential to have a set of linebackers who are good in coverage. Damien Wilson, who earned a coverage grade of 82.1 on first review, allowed six receptions for just 36 yards.
Secondary
The Buffalo Bills boast one of the highest-scoring offenses of the league, so the team only scoring six points today was surely a surprise. That is why the Jags’ defense was the difference-maker of the game.
Three members of the secondary graded above a 67.0. The best of the bunch was Shaquill Griffin, who was targeted five times but only allowed three receptions for 34 yards and two first downs.
Safety Rudy Ford picked off Buffalo’s Allen for the quarterback’s second interception of the day. Ford also recorded four tackles and an assist.
A weird statistic you don’t see every day: when the Jaguars’ kicker Matthew Wright scored the first points of the game, it marked the first Jaguars’ field goal made on American soil this season. The only other two successful tries happened when the team was playing in London.
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen is usually one of the most exciting quarterbacks in the league. The young Wyoming product seemed to fall flat today, going 31-of-47 for 264 yards and two interceptions. Additionally, he lost a crucial fumble. This passing performance led to a PFF grade of 66.3 on PFF’s first review.
Allen’s ground game is usually important to Buffalo, but like his passing today, it was subpar. On six attempts, the quarterback scrambled for 56 yards, which led the team.
Running Back
The Buffalo rushing attack isn’t the main event by any means, but the duo of Devin Singletary and Zack Moss isn't usually this toothless. Moss left the game in the second half with an injury, but the duo collectively rushed nine times for 22 yards, an average of 2.4 yards per carry. Neither rusher earned a first down on the ground.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
The best-performing pass-catcher today, Stefon Diggs, caught six of his seven targets for 85 yards — an average of 14.2 yards per reception.
Buffalo’s Top Four Pass-Catchers Against Jacksonville
| Player | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Yards per Reception | Receiving Grade |
| Stefon Diggs | 6 | 7 | 85 | 14.2 | 66.7 |
| Emmanuel Sanders | 4 | 7 | 65 | 16.3 | 55.7 |
| Devin Singletary | 7 | 8 | 43 | 6.1 | 62.9 |
| Cole Beasley | 8 | 12 | 33 | 4.1 | 63.4 |
While the receivers were catching many of the passes thrown their way, they just couldn’t find the end zone.
Offensive Line
Usually a solid unit, the Bills’ offensive line had a day they might not want to remember. Of the five starters, only one graded above a 66.5 — Daryl Williams.
On Allen’s 55 dropbacks, he faced pressure 15 times and was sacked four times.
Defensive Line
This season, it has seemed like every team has wanted a piece of first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. With the way Jacksonville’s offensive line played, that didn’t happen too often for the Bills.
The injury bug also bit Ed Oliver, who got hurt in the second half. It didn’t seem too serious — Oliver finished the day with a pressure and a tackle.
The Bills’ first-round pick Gregory Rousseau saw a dip in his play. On the way to a defensive grade of 58.8, he recorded a tackle and a defensive stop.
Vernon Butler and Star Lotulelei were the only two defensive linemen to grade above 70.0.
Linebacker
Much like the rest of the team, the Bills’ linebackers played down to their opponents. Both Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano graded below 62.0. The duo still recorded 10 total tackles.
Secondary
Like the Jags’ secondary, the Bills’ corners and safeties were likely the best unit of the team today. Jordan Poyer was the best of the bunch, with three tackles and an assist, which helped him earn a defensive grade of 80.4 on 57 snaps.
Levi Wallace was excellent in coverage today. He only allowed 19 receiving yards on four targets.
Usually a stud in coverage, Tre'Davious White had a rough day. He allowed five catches for 38 yards — the most on the team in both categories.
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