Week 3: Bills vs Jaguars Preview

The Bills will enter their Monday Night matchup in Orchard Park on ten days of rest. They face a desperate Jacksonville team trying to avoid an 0-3 start to their season with an offense struggling to move the ball, unable to execute on third down (26%), and putting points on the board (15/game). This game has “trap” written all over it with the start to both teams’ seasons on top of Josh Allen’s 1-2 career record versus the Jaguars since becoming the Bills’ starting quarterback. Former Bills Gabe Davis and Mitch Morse will be looking to prove the team made a mistake in letting them leave this offseason.  

Injuries will be a factor on both sides, with the Bills down Taron Johnson for a second week and Terrel Bernard after his pectoral injury suffered against Miami. Jacksonville is without starting CB Tyson Campbell, who was placed on IR last week, and star TE Evan Engram for a second consecutive game. The keys to the game for the Bills will be continuing to protect the football and dominating the trenches as they have through the first two weeks of the season. If the Jaguars are to be successful, they must protect Trevor Lawrence and capitalize on third down and red zone visits. In this preview, I will cover three players to watch from both teams and my matchup of the game. Let's dive in.

3 Bills Players to Watch

TE Dalton Kincaid - Kincaid’s season is off to a slow start, but he started the Dolphins game with two catches on the opening scoring drive, finishing with four on the evening. Kincaid will again be the focal point of the passing attack to take advantage of a secondary giving up 245 yards a game through the first two weeks. Kincaid will go off Monday night and look like the player who finished the 2023 season.

CB Cam Lewis - Lewis has stepped up in Taron Johnson’s absence and played very well. His ability to shed blocks and disrupt the run game helped the Bills generate ten tackles for a loss vs. the Dolphins. This will need to continue vs. the Jaguars as he draws the shifty Christian Kirk in coverage, who is looking to break out of his early-season funk. I expect Lewis to continue his strong play in coverage and the run game.

LB Baylon Spector - Spector gets the nod to start in Bernard’s absence this week after filling in vs the Dolphins and performing admirably. The inexperience of Spector lined up next to Williams may be an area that the Jaguars try to exploit with short passes and mixing in playaction. Babich will need to help them out in coverage if Etienne and Bigsby start going on routes out of the backfield. 

3 Jaguars Players to Watch

RB Travis Etienne: Etienne had 136 rushing yards in the Jaguars London victory in 2023 and 184 total yards. He torched the Bills' defense and shortened the game after the Jaguars jumped out to an early lead that they never relinquished. Even though the offense is struggling, Etienne is an x-factor that can tilt the game in the Jaguars' favor.

EDGE  Josh Allen-Hines: Allen-Hines is one of the best edge rushers in the game and will be the biggest challenge Dion Dawkins has faced this season. The Bills were able to keep him in check in last year’s meeting, but he had a monster game in their meeting two years ago, racking up 8 tackles, a sack, and an interception in the Jaguars' victory. Keeping him in check will be the priority for the offensive line.

QB Trevor Lawrence: Lawrence and the offense are off to a slow start this season with new pieces on the offensive line and receiver position. The Jaguars will try to use the running game to help their offense and shorten the game. Lawrence has completed 51% of his passes and been sacked seven times so far this season, so the Bills need to get to him early and prevent them from gaining confidence like they did versus the Dolphins. 

Matchup of the Game

The Bills' defensive line vs. the Jaguars' offensive line. Bobby Babich needs to dial it up and exploit this advantage early to rattle the confidence of the Jaguars' offense. The Bills' defense is coming in after giving up 10 points vs. the Dolphins against an offense that scored 13 in their previous game. Ed Oliver and Von Miller will need to continue being disruptive and put pressure on an offensive line that has given up seven sacks in their first two games.

Prediction: Bills 34 Jaguars 16