5 takeaways from Bills' commanding 47-10 win over Jaguars

The Buffalo Bills are on a tear early in the 2024 NFL season. Here are five takeaways from their Week 3 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ronnie Eastham | Sep 23, 2024

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‘Don’t underestimate a winless team' is something that many fans and pundits said regarding the Jacksonville Jaguars in the leadup to the Buffalo Bills’ Week 3 clash with the 0-2 team—and Buffalo certainly didn’t. The Bills were simply dominant throughout the entire 47-10 win, controlling the line of scrimmage and shredding the Jaguars' secondary. The defense put on an impressive display, recording five sacks as the NFL's active-all-time sack leader Von Miller secured his third of the season. The team had a combined six tackles for a loss, eight passes defended, and nine quarterback hits in a generally relentless outing.

The Bills are the league's best team right now, but it's a long season. It's hard not to overreact after the start Buffalo is having, but this team is firing on all cylinders right now, this proven in their Monday night dismantling of the Jaguars. With that, here are five takeaways from the Bills' Week 3 win over Jacksonville.

Bills OL is elite

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We've seen Brandon Beane fill the offensive line with different names year after year, trying to find that perfect combination. It took a while, but this offensive line is elite and one of the best in the league. For anyone concerned about Connor McGovern at center and David Edwards taking over at guard before the season (points finger at self), you have nothing to worry about. According to PFF, the Bills line ranked fourth coming into Week 3; they didn't allow a sack this week as the team averaged 6.5 yards per play. The line is clicking at this point.

Khalil Shakir is WR1

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Third-year wideout Khalil Shakir was Josh Allen's most targeted player in the win, leading the way with six. Shakir turned those targets into six receptions, 72 yards, and his second touchdown of the season. He remains perfect with 14 catches on 14 targets this year, and dating back to when Joe Brady took over as interim offensive coordinator in Week 11 of last season, he's caught 44 of 50 total targets (including playoffs). Watching Shakir play is nothing short of impressive. His ability to get open and find the holes to get upfield is uncanny, and his willingness to fight through contact after reeling in passes is commendable. There's no wonder why he's quickly become one of Allen's favorite targets.

Josh Allen is in MVP mode early on

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It's ironic that after Sam Darnold's five-touchdown performance on Sunday, many were making jokes about him being the frontrunner for the NFL MVP Award. It's almost as if Allen saw the comments and said, "Wait until they see what I do." Allen was masterful, completing 77% of his throws and passing for 267 yards and four touchdowns before being pulled midway through the fourth quarter. He also added 44 yards on six carries on the ground.

Everyone Eats

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Bills players consistently expressed throughout the summer that there will be opportunities for all offensive players to "eat," or produce. That was evident against the Jaguars, with ten players catching at least one reception and six players scoring a touchdown. Defenses on the Bills schedule are going to have a hard time game-planning for these weapons.

A Night of Firsts

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What a night for so many. Seeing Damar Hamlin getting his first career interception with everything he's been through was as heartwarming a moment as any in recent football memory. Rookies Keon Coleman and Ray Davis got their first NFL touchdowns. Also, welcome to the NFL Javon Solomon with his first career sack; it wasn't enough to just be a traditional sack, he leveled up it up and stripped the ball that Casey Toohill recovered. As if the 47-10 win wasn’t enough, several rookies shined, making the future in Orchard Park seem immensely bright.

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