The AFC Wild Card round kicks off with an intriguing clash between the Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Bills, as the No. 6 seed, travel to face the No. 3 seed Jaguars, who turned around from a 4-13 record last season to dominate the AFC South. This matchup features two star quarterbacks in Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence, promising a high-stakes battle between Buffalo’s explosive offense and Jacksonville’s balanced attack. Below is a full breakdown.
Venue Location
The game will take place at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. This outdoor venue, with a capacity of about 67,814, has been the Jaguars’ home since 1995 and is known for its humid conditions and passionate fanbase, which could amplify the home-field advantage.
Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 PM ET (10:00 AM PT).
Broadcast: The game will air on CBS: Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, Tracy Wolfson (field reporter)
Westwood One: Kevin Kugler, Mike Mayock
Streaming on Paramount+, opening the Wild Card weekend slate.
Weather Updates
Forecasts for Jacksonville on game day show mild, favorable conditions for football. Expect highs around 82°F during the day, cooling to lows in the low 60s by afternoon kickoff. There’s a 14% chance of precipitation, with light winds at 7 mph and partly cloudy skies. UV index is moderate at 3. These warmer, low-wind conditions should support passing games without major disruptions, unlike colder northern venues.
Injury Report
Both teams are dealing with typical late-season ailments, but overall health is solid heading into the playoffs. Updates from January 7-8, 2026 practice reports:
Buffalo Bills:
QB Josh Allen (Foot): Full participation – Practiced fully both days, expected to play without limitations.
LB Terrel Bernard (Calf): Did not participate (DNP) both days.
S Cole Bishop (Ribs): Full.
DE Joey Bosa (status not specified, but team monitoring).
RB Ty Johnson (Ankle): DNP Wednesday, questionable.
WR Curtis Samuel (status unclear).
K Matt Prater (Quadriceps): Upgraded, full participation after aggravation; positive update.
Overall: 14 players listed, with six non-participants early in the week. Defensive setbacks include placing DT Jordan Phillips on IR and signing CB Maxwell Hairston. Team is “embracing the challenge” but monitoring key defenders.
Jacksonville Jaguars:
CB Jarrian Jones (Illness): Returned to practice Thursday after missing Wednesday.
OL Cole Van Lanen (Illness): DNP Wednesday, status uncertain.
DE Danny Striggow (Ankle/Elbow): Limited both days.
RG Patrick Mekari (Back): Returned to practice, limited.
Overall: Relatively healthy with only a few limited players. Good news on the first playoff injury report; team is “by and large” in good shape, with illnesses being the main concern.
Injuries could impact Buffalo’s defense more, potentially giving Jacksonville’s offense an edge.
Player Matchups
This game boils down to quarterback play and trench battles in a “best-on-best” showdown:
QB Josh Allen (Bills) vs. QB Trevor Lawrence (Jaguars): A marquee duel between two elite arms. Allen, a reigning MVP candidate, faces a Jaguars defense that’s improved, while Lawrence (2-1 vs. Bills) thrives at home. Expect pyrotechnics if protections hold.
Bills Pass Rush vs. Jaguars Offensive Line: Buffalo’s front must pressure Lawrence to disrupt Jacksonville’s rhythm. Jags’ line has protected well during their hot streak.
Jaguars Secondary vs. Bills Receivers: Jacksonville’s corners, like Jarrian Jones, will test Buffalo’s passing attack, which led the league in explosiveness.
Run Games: Bills’ ground attack vs. Jags’ front; Jacksonville has won 8 straight partly due to balanced rushing.
Historic Angle: A rematch with playoff implications, where Jags have edged Bills in past postseason meetings.
Recent Team Forms
Bills: Finished strong at 12-5, starting 4-0 but losing their undefeated status in Week 5. They went 8-2 in their last 10, with a potent offense (6,397 total yards, 62 TDs) and defense that set team records. Playoff experience (7-6 postseason under Allen) adds edge, but road games have been 5-3.
Jaguars: Red-hot at 13-4, improving from 4-13 last year with a Week 9 OT win sparking a surge (won 8 straight to close). Offense balanced (passing 3,981 yards, rushing 2,714), defense opportunistic (41 sacks). Home dominance (7-2) makes them formidable.
Series History
The Bills lead the all-time series 10-8 (including 0-2 in playoffs), with 20 meetings total. Jacksonville has won both postseason clashes, adding intrigue. Recent trends: Bills won 3 of last 5 regular-season games, but Jags hold the edge in high-stakes matchups.
Betting Trends
Jaguars: 12-5 ATS overall; 7-2 at home. Strong as underdogs (5-4 ATS when +1 or more).
Bills: 8-9 ATS; 5-3 on road. 1-1 ATS in recent playoffs.
Overall: OVER hit in 77% of bets but only 43% of handle; Jags games over in recent trends, but head-to-head often low-scoring. Jags 7-2 SU at home.
BILLS NOTES:
• BILLS qualified for postseason for 7th consecutive season. • QB JOSH ALLEN led all QBs in rush TDs (14) this season. Has most rush TDs by QB in NFL history (79) & most games with TD pass & rush TD (50). Has most combined pass & rush yards by player in 1st 8 seasons (34,823). Became 1st QB & 4th player ever with 6+ rush TDs in each of 1st 8 seasons. Needs 1 win to surpass Russell Wilson (95) for 3rd-most wins by starting QB all-time, incl. playoffs, in 1st 8 seasons. Has 3,359 pass yards (258.4 yards per game) & 33 TDs (25 pass, 7 rush, 1 rec.) in 13 starts in playoffs. Made 4th-career Pro Bowl in 2025. • RB JAMES COOK ranked 4th in scrimmage yards (career-high 1,912) & tied-5th in TDs (14) in 2025. Was 1 of 2 in NFL (Christian McCaffrey) with 100+ scrimmage yards in 12 games this season. Aims for his 5th in row on road with 110+ scrimmage yards. Made 3rd-career Pro Bowl in 2025. • WR KHALIL SHAKIR led team in receptions (72) & rec. yards (719) in 2025. Aims for his 5th in row in playoffs with 6+ receptions. • TE DALTON KINCAID had career-high 5 rec. TDs. • TE DAWSON KNOX ranks tied-5th all-time among TEs with 6 career playoff rec. TDs. • DE GREG ROUSSEAU led team with 7 sacks in 2025. Aims for his 4th in row with 0.5+ sacks. • DE JOEY BOSA led team with 9 TFL & 5 FF in 2025. Was only DL in NFL with 5 FFs this season. Aims for his 3rd in row on road with PD. • LB MATT MILANO tied career-high 3.5 sacks in 2025. Aims for his 5th in row on road with TFL. • CB TRE’DAVIOUS WHITE led team with 10 PD & had career-high 6 TFL in 2025. Aims for his 5th in row on road with PD. • CB MAXWELL HAIRSTON ranked tied-3rd among rookies with 2 INTs in 2025. • S COLE BISHOP led team with career-high 85 tackles in 2025 & set career highs in PD (7), TFL (4), INTs (3) & sacks (2). Was 1 of 2 DBs (Derwin James) to have 85+ tackles, 3+ INTs & 2+ sacks.
JAGUARS NOTES:
• JAGUARS won AFC South for 1st time since 2022. Had 13 wins in season for 2nd time in franchise history (14 in 1999). Finished season with 8 consecutive wins, 2nd-longest streak in franchise history. • QB TREVOR LAWRENCE ranked 5th in NFL in TD passes (29) & 6th in pass yards (4,007) in 2025. Became 4th player ever with 25+ TD passes & 9+ rush TDs in season. Has 2+ TD passes in 6 of his past 7 games. Needs 170 pass yards to surpass Mark Brunell (674) for most postseason pass yards in franchise history. • RB TRAVIS ETIENNE led team with 1,399 scrimmage yards (1,107 rush, 292 rec.) & career-high 13 TDs in 2025. Was 1 of 6 RBs with 1,350+ scrimmage yards, 35+ receptions (36) & 12+ TDs this season. Needs 200 scrimmage yards to surpass Natrone Means (400) for most postseason scrimmage yards in franchise history. Has 2+ TDs in 3 of his past 4 at EverBank Stadium. • RB BHAYSHUL TUTEN ranks 5th among rookie RBs with 7 TDs in franchise history. Ranked tied-6th among rookies with 6 rush TDs in 2025. • WR PARKER WASHINGTON led team & set career highs in receptions (58) & rec. yards (847) in 2025. • TE BRENTON STRANGE set career highs in receptions (46), rec. yards (540) & rec. TDs (30). Had TD catch in last meeting. • LB FOYESADE OLUOKUN led team with 143 tackles in 2025, 6th-consecutive season with 100+ tackles. Aims for his 11th in row at EverBank Stadium with 5+ tackles. Has PD in 2 of his 3 career games vs. Buf. • LB DEVIN LLOYD ranked 3rd in NFL with 135 INT-YD in 2025. • CB ANTONIO JOHNSON led team with career-high 9 PD in 2025. Johnson & Lloyd were only players in NFL with 5+ INTs & sack this season. • DE JOSH HINES-ALLEN led team with 12 TFL & 8 sacks in 2025. • CB MONTARIC BROWN led team with career-high 12 PD in 2025. Has PD in 3 of his past 4. Had 7 tackles in last meeting. • LS ROSS MATISCIK made 3rd-career Pro Bowl in 2025.
Game Odds
Buffalo Bills – 1.5
Jacksonville Jaguars 51.5
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odd Direct as of Saturday, January 10, 2026
