Jaguars beat Bills in London, start winning streak: 3 takeaways from Week 5

The Jacksonville Jaguars pulled off an upset against the Buffalo Bills back in 2021. Two years later, they found a way to do it again, this time though, they won 25-20.

The Jags led all game long and never gave up the lead even after several attempts in the second half. While the offense went dormant in the second and third quarters, they woke up when it mattered the most and scored twice to put together a couple of scoring drives. Then again, it wouldn't have been possible had they not kept Josh Allen and the Bills offense at bay for most of the game.

The Jaguars now leave London riding a two-game winning streak. Next on their schedule is an Indianapolis team looking for revenge. But that's a topic for a different column for the time being, here are three takeaways from Jacksonville's third victory of the season.

3. The Jaguars offense runs hot and cold vs. the Bills

For the second straight week, the offense got off to a hot start and then cooled considerably. It's also worth noting that the Jaguars haven't been able to score on their opening possession this year but at least made up for it by scoring their second drive. They then made a field... and that was it... at least until the fourth quarter, when Travis Etienne found the end zone to give Jacksonville a brief 25-13 lead.

Trevor Lawrence continues to perform well and the offensive line continues to struggle. It's true that the Bills have one of the best defensive fronts in the league but that doesn't justify their inability to provide decent protection, especially after Cam Robinson's return to the lineup.

Robinson himself struggled most of the game, failing to slow down defensive end A.J. Epenesa, who was flying around the field. Luke Fortner also had a hard time holding his own even after DaQuan Jones left the game. Then, there's right tackle Anton Harrison, who was flagged twice and cost the Jags a couple of big gains.

Whether it was Calvin Ridley or Christian Kirk, the wide receivers did their job, catching pretty much every pass thrown their way, so they can't be blamed for the offense stalling out. Ridley, for his part, had his best game since the opener, hauling in seven receptions for 122 yards. Kirk himself also had a productive outing, catching six passes on eight targets for 72 yards.

2. The Jaguars couldn't get after the QB but managed to stymie the Bills' offense

The Jaguars' offense was the victim of self-inflicted wounds but their defense consistently bailed them out. Although they couldn't get after Josh Allen, the front seven contained Buffalo's running game and generally prevented big plays. The lone exceptions were the Bills' scoring drives. In the first one, Darious Williams gave up a couple big plays. Later in the fourth quarter, Buffalo struck down right after Travis Etienne's second touchdown to make it 25-20. But for the most part, the defense kept Buffalo's passing game in check.

Speaking of Williams, he came up clutch with a huge interception — his second in as many weeks — early in the fourth quarter. Josh Allen targeted Stefon Diggs on a deep pass and had it been completed, he would've either scored or put the Bills inside the Jaguars' 10-yard line. Instead, Williams made the play and gave the ball back to the offense. The best part was that the offense took advantage of the opportunity and drove 93 yards downfield to reach the endzone on a Travis Etienne run.

Even though the defense didn't come up with as many big plays as last week, they still keep the Bills away from the red zone when it mattered the most and that's equally noteworthy. You could point out that Stefon Diggs crossed the 100-yard mark. But besides his one touchdown reception, his performance didn't translate into points on the scoreboard.

1. The Jaguars offense overcomes key issues vs. the Bills

The biggest questions surrounding the Jaguars ahead of the offseason were the offensive line and the pass rush rotation. Both surfaced in Week 5. On the one hand, the pass rush couldn't get to Josh Allen but still managed to keep him in check. On the other hand, the offensive line struggled throughout the game, often killing whatever momentum the Jags had built.

That said, Jacksonville improved in a couple areas that held them back in previous weeks. The first one was a third-down conversion. They went 10-of-18 in that area, which is a significant improvement from the 31.4 percent completion rate they've averaged this season.

Their 32-yard gain on third-and-4 with 3;15 left in the fourth quarter was especially huge. Had the Jags punted, they would've given the Bills a prime opportunity to come back. Instead, Trevor Lawrence found Calvin Ridley to get to Buffalo's 37-yard line and Travis Etienne punched the ball into the end zone not long after.

Coincidentally, Etienne had a pretty productive outing even if you leave aside his second touchdown score. The third-yard running back toted the rock 23 times for 132 yards with two trips to the end zone. It seems like when Etienne thrives, everyone else does too.

In the end, the Jaguars' offense did more than enough to win the game and that's reflected on the scoreboard. Also, the defense deserves credit for making a stand when the Bills had one last chance to score.