ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Bills’ Wild Card matchup is now official. With their win over the New York Jets and the Los Angeles Chargers’ loss to the Denver Broncos, the Bills will head to Jacksonville for a Wild Card matchup against the Jaguars.
The game is scheduled for Sunday, January 11, at 1 p.m. on CBS.
The Jaguars became just the third team in NFL history to go from losing 13 or more games last year (4-13 in 2024) to winning 13 games the following season (13-4 in 2025). Jacksonville clinched an AFC South title in the final week of the regular season with a dominant 41-7 win over the Tennessee Titans. Jacksonville has won eight straight games and impressed on both sides of the ball. The Jags’ defense has been especially impressive as of late and hasn’t allowed an opponent to score more than 20 points since they allowed 24 points to the Arizona Cardinals on November 23.
Final Farewell: Sights and sounds from Buffalo Bills’ final regular season game at Highmark Stadium
This will be the Bills’ first matchup against the Liam Coen-led Jaguars and the first trip to Jacksonville since 2021. In that game, the Bills had one of the worst losses in recent memory, scoring just six points on a day when Josh Allen and the offense were abysmal.
If the Bills are going to go on a run in the playoffs, they’ll need to do something they’ve never done with Sean McDermott as the team’s head coach and Allen as the team’s quarterback. The Bills haven’t won a road playoff game since January 3, 1993.
WATCH: How the Buffalo Bills stack up against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Instant reaction: How the Buffalo Bills stack up against the Jacksonville Jaguars
Bove’s Take:
After weeks of guessing who the Bills’ playoff opponent could be, we know now. Jacksonville is one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and going on the road against a stout defense will be a tall task for the Bills. But if you believe in playoff experience, the Bills have a noticeable advantage.
This will be Liam Coen’s first playoff game as an NFL head coach. It will be Trevor Lawrence’s third playoff game (1-1 in his career). In comparison, Sean McDermott has been the Bills’ head coach for 14 playoff games, and Josh Allen has played in 13 playoff games (7-6).
Where the Jaguars have an advantage is with their run defense. The Bills will need to have success on the ground against the NFL’s top rush defense. This season, the Jags have allowed an average of just 86 rush yards against per game. Against some of the NFL’s best running backs, Jacksonville has been exceptional. In two games against Indianapolis, Jonathan Taylor was held to just 3.4 yards per carry.
This Jaguars team is dangerous, and the most formidable opponent the Bills have played in the Wild Card round since 2019 in Houston. For years, they have been a heavy favorite, but early betting lines show Las Vegas expects this to be an extremely close matchup. As we’ve seen all year, the Bills’ toughest opponent is often themselves. When they play well, there isn’t a team they can’t beat. But they’ve been incredibly inconsistent and found themselves playing from behind too often. That formula won’t work against a solid offense and super impressive defense.
