Losing can be taxing, and Jacksonville Jaguars players would have had the right to feel frustrated after losing five consecutive games to start the 2021 season. However, their confidence never wavered, and kept working. They knew that winning wasn’t going to come easy and would need to trust the process. In the end, all that hard work has paid off.
Beating the Bills was no easy feat and it was arguably one of the biggest upsets in the NFL this season. Not many picked the Jaguars (this writer included) to defeat Buffalo and rightfully so. They had a top defense and a high-scoring offense while Jacksonville was coming off an embarrassing loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 8. The Jags didn’t care though and brought a dominant defense of their own.
All in all, Jacksonville registered 29 total pressures, four sacks, two forced fumbles, and two interceptions in Week 9. Moreover, they picked up the slack on a day when points were difficult to come by.
Instead of focusing on their past game, the Jaguars made sure they were ready to take on the Bills. Days before the game, quarterback Trevor Lawrence said that you have to come ready and play your best to win regardless of the opponent, “when you’re playing a great team, you got a good opportunity to go out there and show what you can do”. Jacksonville did precisely that and stunned the Bills.
Without further ado, here are three studs and three duds that made Week 9’s upset possible.
The Jaguars’ front seven disrupted the Bills’ defense all the long.
1. Rudy Ford, safety/slot
Fifth-year safety Rudy Ford has mostly played special team throughout his NFL career but started to get more defensive snaps in Week 6 of the 2021 season. This doesn’t come as a surprise though. Urban Meyer has praised the Auburn product several times and has insisted for months that he’s more than just special teams player.
Cornerback Tre Herndon isn’t 100 percent healthy after suffering an MCL injury in the preseason, so the team gave Ford a chance to see what he could do in the slot. The 2017 fifth-round pick made the most of his chances in Week 9 and registered his first career interception. His effort also earned him a Pro Football Focus overall grade of 78.0.
After the game, he had to be assisted. He told the media he left everything on the field, based on his performance is hard to argue that.
2. Taven Bryan, defensive tackle
You will hear Jaguars players and coaching staff gush about defensive tackle Taven Bryan’s strength and talent. However, he hasn’t done much of note since being selected with the 29th overall pick in the 2018 draft. In fact, the team declined to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie deal and is set to become a free agent in 2022.
Sunday was different though and Bryan played like a first-round pick, registering two sacks and two tackles for a loss. Even if he doesn’t do much the remainder of the season, his impact in the Jags’ win over the Bills is undeniable. What makes this even more rewarding is that he was made inactive as recently as Week 6.
3. Josh Allen, edge rusher.
No other player had a bigger role in the Jaguars’ win than edge rusher Josh Allen. Even though if his numbers don’t stack up favorably against those of Myles Garrett (Cleveland Browns) or Harold Landry (Tennessee Titans), he’s played hard all season long. The 2019 first-round pick is constantly applying pressure up front and even if he doesn’t get the sack, he’s influencing every play.
Against the Bills, he had one of the best games of his professional career. He finished the game with eight total tackles, two tackles for a loss, an interception, and a fumble recovery (courtesy of teammate Dawuane Smoot). He won’t likely have a similar performance the rest of the season but he will continue playing at a high level.
These three Jaguars came up short against the Bills in Week 9.
1. Carlos Hyde, running back.
Heading into the game, it was uncertain if running back James Robinson was going to play. In the end, he was a no-go and Carlos Hyde got the starting nod. He was serviceable for the most part, racking up 21 carries for 67 yards. However, he had a fumble and a dropped pass.
In the end, the plays didn’t have a negative impact but that kind of mistakes could have been costly in such a narrow win. Robinson should return to the lineup this week and Hyde will return to the bench.
2. Matthew Wright, kicker.
Matthew Wright played a key role in the Jaguars’ win, making three field goals, including one of 55 yards. However, he also missed one even though he had three chances to nail it. Wright was responsible for all the points the Jags made and you could make the case that other players are more deserving of this spot. But again, it was a narrow win, and if Jacksonville hadn’t won, the media would be talking about how a kicker cost them the game.
3. Trevor Lawrence, quarterback.
That’s right, Trevor Lawrence didn’t play well even before he briefly exited the game. He was off-target and couldn’t get the ball to his playmakers. He didn’t always get help from his supporting cast and faced off against the best defense in the NFL but he definitely has room for improvement.
On the bright side, Lawrence didn’t turn the ball over on a day when it would’ve made the difference. Also, games like this are bound to happen in his rookie campaign. The Jaguars should be worried if this were Year 4 but the Clemson Tiger just made the eighth start of his NFL career.