JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) 鈥� Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills don鈥檛 have to beat Kansas City, Cincinnati or Baltimore to reach the Super Bowl.
The team with and the AFC鈥檚 most playoff experience faces a new path, beginning with a wild-card game in Jacksonville. Although this journey doesn鈥檛 seem as daunting as those in recent years that included Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow or Lamar Jackson, it might be equally treacherous.
Especially with the Bills being on the road 鈥� and the streaking and surprising Jaguars already feeling overlooked.
Allen opens his latest quest to get Buffalo back to the NFL鈥檚 ultimate stage on Sunday. That鈥檚 the way most outsiders will look at the matchup featuring the third-seeded Jaguars (13-4) and the sixth-seeded Bills (12-5).
Here鈥檚 another:
鈥淭he whole football industry is going to be watching us,鈥� Jaguars running back Travis Etienne said. 鈥淧eople who haven鈥檛 been seeing us, we get to show them who we are.鈥�
The Jaguars have won eight in a row while averaging 33.6 points a game and have all season, whether it鈥檚 perceived slights from national pundits or actual snubs like Pro Bowl votes cast by players, coaches and fans.
For this game, the Jaguars merely need to peek at the betting line to find fuel: BetMGM installed Buffalo as a one-point favorite at EverBank Stadium, where the Bills last won in 2013.
Buffalo also is 0-5 on the road in the playoffs under coach Sean McDermott, starting with a 10-3 loss at Jacksonville in the 2017 wild-card round. The Bills have dropped eight consecutive postseason games on the road since winning at Miami in the 1992 AFC championship game. It鈥檚 the NFL鈥檚 second-longest active playoff road skid.
鈥淛ust got to go out there and play,鈥� Bills running back James Cook said. 鈥淵ou only got one game left, so every game, you just got to play like it鈥檚 your last.鈥�
Buffalo has been at its best when Cook is, well, cooking. The Bills are 8-1 when the NFL rushing leader tops 100 yards on the ground. He鈥檚 facing a tough task against the Jaguars, who haven鈥檛 allowed anyone to reach 75 yards rushing while becoming the league鈥檚 top run defense in 2025.
鈥淲hat a great opportunity for us to be the only team playing,鈥� Jaguars defensive end Josh Hines-Allen said. 鈥淕reat opportunity for us to maximize what we can do and be on a platform to where people can watch our games everywhere and see what type of team we are.鈥�
All eyes will be on the quarterbacks, and for good reason.
闯补肠办蝉辞苍惫颈濒濒别鈥檚 . Lawrence has accounted for 24 touchdowns during the team鈥檚 winning streak.
Allen, meanwhile, carried the Bills as usual 鈥� he has four fourth-quarter comebacks this season 鈥� and made the Pro Bowl for the fourth time. Could this finally be his Super Bowl year?
鈥淛osh just wants to win,鈥� Bills receiver Gabe Davis said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a huge competitor. And I feel like when it comes to these moments, it鈥檚 when he really shines.鈥�
Buffalo鈥檚 kicking concerns
Bills kicker Matt Prater, 41, will try to play after aggravating a quadriceps injury last week.
鈥淚 just want to feel confident and feel good,鈥� said Prater, who took over the kicking duties after Tyler Bass was sidelined by hip and groin issues before the season opener. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to do everything I can to get back and play. But we鈥檒l see what happens.鈥�
If Prater can鈥檛 go, the Bills have Matthew Wright on the practice squad. Wright has six seasons of NFL experience, including 14 games with the Jaguars in 2021.
Jaguars want to get home with four
There鈥檚 a common theme in Buffalo鈥檚 five losses: Allen was under intense pressure in each game, leading to sacks and turnovers. Eight sacks and two interceptions against Houston. Five sacks and two fumbles against Philadelphia. Four sacks, two interceptions and two fumbles against Atlanta. Three sacks, an interception and a fumble against Miami. One sack, an interception and a fumble against New England.
闯补肠办蝉辞苍惫颈濒濒别鈥檚 goal: Pressure Allen with a four-man rush and don鈥檛 let him scramble for big plays.
鈥淗uge test for those guys,鈥� Jaguars coach Liam Coen said. 鈥淚 believe they鈥檒l be up for the challenge.鈥�
Bills feeling the heat?
With Kansas City, Cincinnati and Baltimore missing the playoffs, Buffalo has been a trendy pick to win the AFC. Does that put more pressure on the Bills?
鈥淎ren鈥檛 we the sixth seed?鈥� left tackle Dion Dawkins quipped. 鈥淭he whole world鈥檚 not saying the Bills. Nobody鈥檚 talking about the Buffalo Bills. So I feel like all the stress is not on our shoulders.
鈥淲e play to be in the dance. We鈥檙e dancing. Now we just need to be prom king and queen at the end.鈥�
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AP Sports Writer John Wawrow in Orchard Park, New York, contributed to this report.
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