The Buffalo Bills made a strong statement through a megaphone on Monday night football, They never showed the slightest doubt or sign of concern and defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 47-10.
There were several key moments throughout the game, from Josh Allen’s game-winning touchdown passes to Damar Hamlin’s first career interception. It’s one of those rare games where everything went right, as every Bills player, from the starters to the backups, contributed to one of Buffalo’s biggest defeats in recent memory.
It would simply be unfair to label anyone a “loser” after this convincing win, so instead we’ll just highlight the standout players and take a look at all of the Bills’ stars from their win over the Jaguars.
All the talk of MVP honors in the early weeks of the season will only get louder for Josh Allen, who had his best game of the season on Monday night (even catching the eye of NBA star Lebron James). He completed nearly 77 percent of his passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns in the win, and was also the team’s leading runner with 44 yards. Allen was exactly as promised, taking what the Jacksonville defense threw at him impeccably and making them pay when opportunities for spectacular plays arose. Last season he was heavily criticized for his turnovers, and on Monday he took care of the ball by not losing it once; he has thrown just one turnover and no interceptions so far this season.
There wasn’t a dry eye in Buffalo on Monday night after Damar Hamlin grabbed his first career interception against Trevor Lawrence in the second quarter. That interception led to a fourth consecutive touchdown for the Bills and put the game out of reach. Hamlin added five tackles and two pass deflections. He was the complete package in coverage while covering the Jaguars’ pass catchers and capped the night with a memorable interception that fans won’t soon forget after he recovers from his scary cardiac arrest in the 2022 season.
Related: NFL MVP odds react to Bills QB Josh Allen’s unthinkable performance against the Jaguars
This unit took a lot of abuse and criticism in the preseason, but since the start of the regular season, the offensive line has been one of the best in the NFL. Buffalo averaged over 4.2 yards per carry and did not allow a sack on Allen while the starters were in the game. Led by veterans like Dion Dawkins, Connor McGovern and Spencer Brown, the Bills have assembled a solid offensive line for the season.
A lot has been asked of second-year linebacker Dorian Williams as he fills the void left by Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard while they recover from injuries. Williams made the most of his opportunity, leading the Bills with 11 tackles on Monday, eight of which were solo. He even shined in coverage, running stride-for-stride with speedy running back Travis Etienne on the sideline early in the game. Buffalo will have to rely on its 23-year-old linebacker with Milano and Bernard out, and Williams has seemed up to the task through three games.
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