The Jacksonville Jaguars did it! Just one year after going 4-13, they won 13 games and are set to face off against the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs. Of course, they dealt with several hurdles along the way but routinely showed the mental fortitude to deal with them. Head coach Liam Coen is the reason why.
Under Coen, the Jags became a gritty team that won't wave the white flag even when things aren't going their way. It's helped that they have ample talent across the roster, but that tough mindset has most definitely been huge throughout the season, and it will serve them against Buffalo.
The Jaguars are focused on the task at hand ahead of the Bills game
Liam Coen met with reporters one day after the win over Tennessee and said that they've been treating each game like a must-win, noting that they have a core of players who know how to best deal with adversity.
"I think it's this group specifically, as so many times we've talked after Houston is really dug in and really treated every week like a playoff game," Coen told reporters (3:45 mark). "Trevor, I think said it best yesterday was like we were in must wins to win the division, and to be in the situation that we're in, we kind of treated them all that way, and it was one and all each week. And I think the no flinch, no blank mentality of playing four-quarter football games and for 60 minutes or longer is the mentality."
Coen continued, "And so I think these guys, we have enough veterans and enough players on this team that have been through difficult games, difficult, difficult years, good winning years, winning teams, and ultimately, when you have leadership like that, and you have continuity, and they can then give that information and some of that. Knowledge to the younger players that haven't been through it. I think that's why you probably see some of the ability to be mentally and physically tough."
That kind of mindset will most definitely come in handy when Jacksonville faces the Bills. With this in mind, here are the odds for the upcoming matchup.
Odds for the Jaguars playoff game vs. the Bills
The Jags are surprisingly a 1.5-point underdog with a -102 moneyline despite the fact that they're the higher seed, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Bet $102 on them to win $100 for a total payout of $202 if they beat Buffalo. The Bills' moneyline sits at -116. Place a wager of $116 to win $100 for a total payout of $216 if they come out on top.
The over/under for the game is set at 51.5 points, so bettors expect this one to be a high-scoring affair.
Keep in mind that odds are periodically refreshed, so they can change at any moment.
Trevor Lawrence will outduel Josh Allen
Josh Allen is one of the premier quarterbacks and arguably the best one in the playoffs now that Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Patrick Mahomes are watching from home. That said, the Jaguars have a good signal-caller of their own in Trevor Lawrence.
Although Lawrence doesn't get as much recognition as his Buffalo counterpart, he definitely got hot at the right time, and that makes the Jags dangerous in the playoffs. It's also worth noting that No. 16 has playoff experience and is 2-1 against the Bills in his career, so Jacksonville most definitely got a shot.
Dating back to Week 13, Lawrence has thrown just one interception. Couple that with the fact that the Jaguars have enough talent on defense, and he'll put up better numbers than Allen in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Prediction: Trevor Lawrence completes 65% of his passes and throws for 3 TDS and 1 INT, while the Jags defense picks Josh Allen twice.