The Jaguars (0-2) head to Buffalo for their first primetime contest of the year on Monday, hoping to topple the Bills (2-0) and secure their first win of the season.
Jacksonville head coach Doug Pederson called the matchup a “benchmark” for the Jaguars, with the team needing to perform at a high level under the national spotlight in order to get out of its funk.
“I think it’s good for our team,” Pederson said Thursday. “Obviously, it’s a great opportunity to go on the road … it’s really a great atmosphere for football. It’s a Monday night game. The fans are going to be juiced up and ready to go.
“It’ll be good for us. It’s a benchmark. It’s a measuring stick game right now. It’s great for our players to be in these atmospheres. We need to be in these situations more and this is a great opportunity for them.”
To best preview Jacksonville vs. Buffalo, Jaguars Wire has gone behind enemy lines with Bills Wire‘s Nick Wojton for a question-and-answer session, part of our season-long series with input from sister sites at the USA TODAY Sports Wire network.
Find Wojton’s answers to our questions below.
The offseason departures of Gabe Davis and Mitch Morse to the Jaguars and Stefon Diggs to the Texans do not seem to have slowed the Bills’ offense down. What’s working for the unit so far and who has stepped up?
Sep 12, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) drops back to handoff the football to running back James Cook (4) during the third quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Not a receiver, rather, running back James Cook. Since Joe Brady took over as offensive coordinator midway through last season, he started putting a larger emphasis on the ground game and Cook benefited in a huge way. In the air, Khalil Shakir has been the early-season reliable target. Not surprising considering he was the only Bills receiver to have caught a pass from Josh Allen prior to that start of the season.
On the flip side, how impactful were Buffalo’s free-agent losses and salary cap cuts defensively this offseason?
Dec 31, 2023; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills defensive end Leonard Floyd (56) tackles New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports
The biggest loss was probably Leonard Floyd. He led the…
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