Jaguars vs. Bills: Top 5 storylines to watch in NFL Week 3
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The Buffalo Bills remained perfect for the 2024 season with a 31-10 squishing of the Miami Dolphins last Thursday. The Bills now turn their attention to Monday Night Football when they welcome the Jacksonville Jaguars to Orchard Park. Here are five storylines to watch for in a game with possible playoff implications.
Stay Hot
The Bills have started the season 2-0; they're one of five teams in the AFC to be perfect to kick off the new campaign. Buffalo is also first in the AFC in touchdown differential with a plus-four. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers (both 2-0) play each other, so at least one zero will go. It seems early, but it is never a bad time to position yourself in line for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff picture.
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T-Law and Order
Jaguars' QB Trevor Lawrence has lost his last seven starts dating back to November of 2023. Jacksonville does have a win over that span, but it was in a game started by C.J. Beathard. The numbers for the Clemson product aren't pretty during that span either. Lawrence hasn't gone over 300 yards and had two or more interceptions in three of the seven games.
Returning Players
When Jacksonville takes the field for warmups against the Bills, two players will be giving out an abundance of hugs: wide receiver Gabe Davis and center Mitch Morse. Davis was Josh Allen's No. 2 wideout for much of his career before joining the Jaguars. Morse played in 77 games for the Bills during his five years in Buffalo. Josh Allen said this week that those two are like brothers to him. Don't forget, those of us with brothers want nothing more than to beat them in competition.
Opposite Directions
It wasn't that long ago that the Bills and Jaguars were commonly talked about as two of the teams that could threaten the Kansas City Chiefs at the top of the AFC. That focus has shifted to Buffalo, the Cincinnati Bengals (still), and the Houston Texans. Buffalo started 2-0, with a point differential of +27. On the other sideline, Jacksonville is 0-2, with a point differential of -8.
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Unusual Start Time
Athletes are creatures of habit, and none of these guys are used to a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on a Monday night. Both teams are dealing with the odd circumstances of a dual Monday slate, so there isn't an advantage here. It's to be expected they stick to their pregame routines, but if one team gets blown out or makes some silly errors, I fully expect someone in the media to ask if the timing of the game played a part.
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