Bills bold predictions for AFC Wild Card Game vs. Jaguars

It’s quite simple, and Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen will need to be Superman for his team to win. Also, health should not be an issue with his foot doing better. Taking those things into consideration, here are bold predictions for the AFC Wild Card game against the Jaguars.

These teams will meet on Sunday at 1 p.m. (ET). The Bills bring a 12-5 record into the game while the Jaguars finished with a mark of 13-4. The Bills are a 1.5-point favorite despite being on the road.

Bills QB Josh Allen will total over 350 yards

Allen hasn’t reached that level of performance in over a month. But it is exactly what the team needs. The Jaguars are going to score points. The Bills must match them. Allen needs to get close to 300 yards passing. He also needs to get 50-plus yards rushing. This needs to be the Allen Show.

In order to win, Allen will have to overcome his defense, according to ESPN.

“Their defense is not good,” Jeff Saturday said. “I know they can run the ball well. Their receiving corps isn’t elite. You’re asking him to do more with less against (potentially) three of the best defenses (beginning with the Jaguars) in the NFL. It is tough sledding.

“I love the heck out of Josh Allen. Absolute beast. Stud. But you’re asking him to go beat some really good quality teams with a team that’s not as good as what he’s had in the past.”

The Jaguars certainly know what they’re up against, according to Sports Illustrated.

“Because you’re a dual threat,” Jaguars head coach Liam Coen said. “You have to defend the run and the pass every time the ball is snapped.

“Your rush plan has to be extremely dialed in. (And) your spy game has to be dialed in if you’re going to do any of that stuff. Your zone coverage has got to make sure that you’re giving eyes obviously on the quarterback at all times, and, look, when you have to account for the quarterback every play, we have a luxury of that as well, in ways where our quarterback can take off on you, it’s hard to defend every blade of grass.”

Jaguars trying to get ready for Josh Allen

The Jaguars have used scout-team QB Carter Bradley to simulate Allen in practice.

“Just making sure that we extend some plays and just giving those guys a look of like, alright, Carter’s got a big arm,” Coen said. “I mean, that ball can go anywhere on the field in some ways. It’s a great representation of there’ll be examples of throwing on time and in rhythm and practice.”

But Allen is still Allen. It’s unlikely that a practice simulation will help the Jaguars slow him down.

Bills RB James Cook will get 80-plus total yards

It probably won’t come through a good running game. The Jaguars are the NFL’s best against the run, allowing only 85.6 yards per game. But Cook can make plays in the passing game, too. He has 33 catches for 291 yards on the season with a pair of scores.

And all it takes is one big play to make a difference. If Cook can get loose for 20- to 30-yard catch, he will probably finish with close to 50 yards receiving. And the Bills will stick to the run game, so Cook should get 30-40 there.

Cook has silenced the critics this year, according to heavy.com.

“If you think back to training camp, and we’re sitting up in these press conferences and talking about James Cook and ‘is he a diva?” offensive coordinator Joe Brady said. “He doesn’t want to be part of [the Bills]. Why would you pay a running back?’ All he’s done is just shown up to work and absolutely put on an incredible performance this year.

“Not often do guys get paid and then take their games up to another level. And to [win the rushing title] with one less game, I think, was really impressive, and I couldn’t be happier for him.”

RB James Cook had a superb season

Cook held off the Ravens’ Derrick Henry for the NFL rushing title despite sitting out most of the Bills’ regular-season finale against the Jets. McDermott said he got a little nervous when Henry had a big first half against the Steelers on Sunday Night Football, according to buffalobills.com.

“I was watching the (Ravens-Steelers) game, and you know, I’m praying that we made the right decision,” McDermott said. “And tell you what, it’s not easy. You expose him too long, and maybe he gets hurt, and you’re not loving it. So you try to do your best to keep him healthy, but also get him to a spot where he can kind of reap the fruits of his labor.”

Bills WR Khalil Shakir will have a big game

The Bills’ receivers have been criticized heavily this season. But Shakir is the best of the bunch. And he needs to step up against the Jaguars. Shakir has 732 catches for 719 yards with four touchdowns on the season.

McDermott said he knows the receivers have been up and down this season. Tight ends Dalton Kincaid and Dawson Knox are second and third, respectively, in receiving this season. That’s true despite Kincaid missing five games. Keon Coleman is next with 38 catches for 404 yards, but he’s been a healthy scratch multiple times this season.

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