Buffalo Bills Face Historic Playoff Challenge in Jacksonville
The Buffalo Bills enter the 2025-26 NFL playoffs with high expectations but a glaring historical obstacle: they have never won a playoff game on the road under head coach Sean McDermott and general manager Brandon Beane. Even more daunting, the Bills have never beaten the Jacksonville Jaguars in Jacksonville — in any context.
Their postseason journey begins Sunday at 1 p.m. ET in EverBank Stadium against the Jaguars in the wild-card round. To reach the Super Bowl, the Bills will likely need to win three consecutive road games, a feat they’ve yet to accomplish in The Process era that began in 2017.
A Winless Road Playoff Record
McDermott and Beane are 0-5 in playoff road games, with quarterback Josh Allen starting in four of those losses. The Bills were underdogs in each contest, including three against the dominant Kansas City Chiefs. The other road defeats came in Jacksonville (2017 season) and in overtime at Houston (2019 season).
Despite regular-season success at Arrowhead Stadium, Buffalo has struggled to translate that into postseason wins away from home. “Playing on the road anytime is tough, in particular in the playoffs against a good football team,” McDermott said this week.
Recent Momentum vs. Jaguars’ Home Dominance
The Bills closed the regular season strong on the road, winning their final three away games with convincing performances against the Steelers, Patriots, and Browns. In contrast, the Jaguars posted a 7-1 record at EverBank Stadium, with their only home loss coming against the NFC’s top-seeded Seattle Seahawks.
Jacksonville bolstered its offense midseason by acquiring wide receiver Jakobi Meyers in a trade. Meyers has provided a reliable target for quarterback Trevor Lawrence, catching 42 passes for 483 yards and three touchdowns in nine games with the Jaguars.
Injury Concerns Heading Into Sunday
Buffalo will be without rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston for at least this week due to an ankle injury. Kicker Matt Prater is day-to-day after aggravating a quadriceps issue, prompting the team to schedule kicker tryouts. Positive notes include defensive tackle DaQuan Jones, linebacker Terrel Bernard, and safety Jordan Poyer trending toward full health.
Painful Memories in EverBank Stadium
The venue holds bitter memories for Buffalo. In January 2018, the Bills ended a 17-year playoff drought only to fall 10-3 in Jacksonville. In 2021, a heavily favored Bills team suffered a shocking 9-6 loss amid turnovers and sacks — one of just two wins in Urban Meyer’s ill-fated tenure.
Key Matchups and X-Factors
The Jaguars ranked second in the NFL with 31 takeaways, led by linebacker Devin Lloyd’s playmaking. Running back Travis Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards and seven scores, while Lawrence threw for 4,007 yards and a career-high 29 touchdowns. On defense, edge rusher Josh Hines-Allen leads Jacksonville with eight sacks.
Buffalo’s run defense has been a vulnerability this season, which could prove costly against Jacksonville’s ground attack.
For Josh Allen, McDermott, and Beane, a victory in Jacksonville would mark uncharted territory and a major step forward in The Process.
