Jacksonville Jaguars Play Tough but Fall to the Buffalo Bills 27-20

Dec 15, 2013; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Mark Brunell speaks with Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shad Khan in the second quarter of their game against the Buffalo Bills at EverBank Field. Brunell was inducted into the “Pride of the Jaguars” during halftime ceremonies. Mandatory Credit: Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports

The Jacksonville Jaguars lost for only the second time since the bye week at the hands of the Buffalo Bills. The Bills used a strong performance on the ground to wear down the Jacksonville defense and take the lead in the 4th quarter. EJ Manuel overcame a very shaky start to put up some respectable statistics and put his team in a position to win at the end.

Here are some notes from today’s loss:

Everyone knows Chad Henne isn’t the answer at quarterback, but he deserves some credit for playing well after a terrible interception in the first quarter. He didn’t let the bad pass get in his head, and he ended up leading two scoring drives through the air.

Jordan Todman did an outstanding job filling in for Maurice Jones-Drew and provided a much needed explosive element out of the backfield. Todman accounted for over 150 yards from scrimmage and should get a serious look at the starting running back job in 2014.

The defense struggled stopping the run for the first time in several weeks, which is nothing to be embarrassed about against the likes of C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson. Manuel also contributed in the running game and scored a touchdown with his legs in the red zone.

The secondary didn’t have their best game of the season, but they didn’t give up a huge play. Scott Chandler and Robert Woods both had big days and were open often.

The Jacksonville defensive line still isn’t getting pressure consistently, but when they do, good things almost always happen. Manuel was a mess when the Jaguars had bodies in the backfield.

– Daniel Lago

Yell at me on Twitter @dlago89