Run With It: Bortles’ Legs, Stingy Defense Propel Jags over Bills

On the day, Bortles ran for 88 yards while only completing 12 passes for 87 yards, becoming the fourth quarterback since 1950 to win a playoff game by having more rushing yards in the game than passing yards.

Buffalo got out to an early 3-0 lead then had nothing to show for what was a solid defensive performance. But, I am saying that anyone who thought he was going to roll in Jacksonville and pass for 250 yards and a couple of TD’s is off their rocker.

Taylor has more than likely played his last game as a Buffalo Bill. Coach Sean McDermott and offensive coordinator Rick Dennison elected to call a run-pass option instead of giving it to McCoy, who had eight touchdowns on the season. They kept LeSean McCoy, who looked closer to 100 percent than expected, out of the end zone, and they also limited big plays through the air.

With 1:17 on the clock, Peterman needed to take his team 58 yards down the field to tie or win the game.

This was, we all believed a different type of Saints offence, one that relied on Brees to make shorter, more accurate throws and let his running backs do the rest. It also was a gutsy call on fourth-and-goal from the 1. The risk paid off. Taylor also gives the Bills more pop in the running game, as he is as risky running with the ball as he is with throwing the ball. Tyrod barely took any chances and was missing wideouts. “It’s not the reason we lost”.

All credit goes to Jacksonville here. But in the playoffs, he went there and made some big-time plays picking up first downs time and time again.

The Bills’ defenders dropped a few Bortles duck passes and were unable to generate a single takeaway. “Two plays before that, with Peterman we played the same coverage, we played off and he threw that quick hitch to A.J.’s side”. They probably won’t be held to the nine they scored in that first meeting this season. Taylor’s future with the franchise now hangs in the balance, as we await news of his scary head injury. Maybe it would have, but the ball would have been placed back into the hands of the Bills’ sluggish offense, which did little to inspire fans.

Blake Bortles can thank the Buffalo Bills’ offense for sending the Jacksonville Jaguars to the divisional round of the playoffs.

The Bills experienced that first-hand in Sunday’s AFC wild-card game.

Drew Brees had, statistically, his worst season through the air for New Orleans, averaging 270.8 passing yards per game despite a career high 72% completion rate. Inexplicably, they handed the ball to their rookie star just 11 times. After all, the Bills weren’t supposed to make the playoffs in 2017. The Cinderella story ended abruptly.

Bills fans are loyal to the core, through playoff droughts, and now playoff heartache. We’ve got to do a better job starting today. Stephen Hauschka got the Bills on the score board for their only points of the game.

The season may be over for Buffalo, but fans agree it was a fun ride. Just playing in the playoffs is still a surreal feeling.

Jacksonville’s latest defensive gem – a 10-3 victory against Buffalo (9-8) on Sunday – set up a rematch with the Steelers (13-3).