Jaguars @ Bills
Final Score: Bills 47, Jaguars 10
Writer: Matthew Bevins (MattBQBList on Twitter)
The Buffalo Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars find themselves at very different points of their seasons, even though we’re only in Week 3. The Bills are staring an early undefeated season in the face, while the Jags are just looking to find some footing. Josh Allen versus Trevor Lawrence was something many commentators would consider just years ago a “battle of the aces”, but Lawrence hasn’t found himself as a reliable or dominant force behind center. Josh Allen didn’t make Lawrence’s life any easier, as they broke 30 points before halftime. Lawrence and the Jags went into halftime with just 3 points to their names.
Three Up
- Josh Allen – Josh Allen has some performances where dominant can somehow end up an understatement. He had passed his passing yards line in just the first half and also had his rushing yards line passed in the first half as well.
- Damar Hamlin – I know this isn’t entirely fantasy-related unless you’re in an IDP league with a decent amount of players involved, but this was an amazing scene to watch, as Hamlin is about 18 months removed from almost losing his life on a football field. On primetime television, he caught an interception right across the middle of the field. An absolute treat for all involved.
- Khalil Shakir – Khalil Shakir has been a buzzy name in fantasy circles since the Bills drafted him out of Boise St . With just three touchdowns to his name before tonight, it’s clear it hasn’t really been a wish fulfilled, but maybe this could be the start of something good. He was targeted often, and made great use of it, even getting a touchdown out of it.
Three Down
- Trevor Lawrence – The boys aren’t alright. Trevor Lawrence would not have written up his NFL career like this if he had any input into it. Primetime games have often been rough for Lawrence, and Monday Night Football was no different. The game slipped away from him quickly, and while the chants aren’t coming yet, it seems like we may just be a few more winless weeks before they start talking about if he’s their “QB of the future” anymore.
- Gabe Davis – Is Gabe Davis ever going to pull himself out of the mercurial concept of what he can be, and finally become a thing? It seems as if this is going to remain a question for a while more. In the first two weeks, he had five combined targets. There’s no running by defenders, the zip is not there yet. Maybe, just maybe, he needs a bit to get in sync. Let’s hope.
- Travis Etienne – Look, I like Travis Etienne. I’ve stood by him since he got in the league, and I have stock in him in many of my leagues but I just hate to see how quickly he can get game-planned out of games by the Jaguars not ending up toe-to-toe in a lot of their matchups.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Quarterback
Trevor Lawrence: 21/38, 1 TD |2 carries, 3 yards
Mac Jones: 5/8, 1 sack, 1 fumble
Lawrence had a night to forget, as he came into Buffalo and left a broken man. The targets were overthrown and rushed, his line couldn’t seem to give him enough time to even think about where he wanted to pass, and it never really seemed to get better. Mac Jones is next in line, so I don’t think we’ll be seeing a change any time soon, but there will inevitably be a time when we’re asked if this is the right offense for him and if he’s bringing it forward or causing a stall.
Trevor attempted to find different targets, but the loss of Evan Engram for quick check-downs has hurt, as well as the fact that his new weapons don’t seem to be meshing.
Running Back
Travis Etienne: 11 carries, 68 rushing yards | 6 targets, 4 receptions, 17 yards
Etienne wasn’t breaking runs, and couldn’t deal with the constant pressure of the Bill’s rushing defense. It’s an early sample, but his rushing yards per carry are over a yard under where he was in 2022, and it’s tough to see it getting much better. What can you do when your quarterback is under constant duress? It’s only one play into his fourth quarter, and you watch as Lawrence is pressured two seconds from the snap, windmilling into Etienne into the backfield before being toppled over. The Bills have a high-octane, talented defense but the fact of the matter is that Etienne has dealt with this tonight and will continue to deal with the loaded boxes due to teams not respecting Lawrence’s passing prowess just yet.
Tank Bigsby: 2 carries, 9 yards
Tank Bigsby may be the best name in the league, but as the backup to an elite rushing option that is mostly stymied due to predicament rather than talent, there isn’t much to be mined here. Bigsby was a name that many rookie drafters knew coming out of the draft but took a big hit when he “tanked” last season. Bigsby saw less than a handful of carries and was not a part of the game plan for the Jaguars at all, a far cry in what we’ve seen in previous weeks.
D’Ernest Johnson: 2 carries, 12 yards
D’Ernest Johnson deserves better. Remember those Cleveland days? This guy should be backing up somewhere, not third string. Someone has to agree with me here!
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Christian Kirk: 10 targets, 8 receptions, 79 yards
Christian Kirk still for some reason feels like a Cardinals player to me, and it’s entirely possible in his current situation, he may be thinking about it too. Kirk was the receiver of choice for Lawrence, but it didn’t help move the needle much in this game. Kirk often finds himself as the target share leader and more of a possession receiver, which may help his value throughout the year as the Jaguars look to find better footing as to what they are.
Brian Thomas Jr.: 9 targets, 5 receptions, 48 yards
Brian Thomas Jr. is an absolute beast off the line and has the chance to be one of the best receivers from this class, but tonight was a game to forget for him as well. He was able to break off four receptions, but nothing moved the needle, and he wasn’t able to get over the top, as half of his targets were aired out or away from him. Thomas has the ability to get open deep, but Lawrence is not going to be given a lot of time to work behind the line.
Brenton Strange: 5 targets, 2 receptions, 12 yards, 1 TD
Brenton Strange, the heir apparent at tight end after Engram’s injuries, found the end zone with Lawrence tonight marking the lone touchdown score of a pretty forgettable night for the Jaguars. Tight end is a horrific position to fill in fantasy, so Strange may have some minor value when Engram is out, but this is not an offense I want to be tied to by choice.
Gabe Davis: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
Luke Farrell: 2 targets, 1 reception, 1 yard
Parker Washington: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards
Josiah Deguara: 1 target, 1 reception, 8 yards
Buffalo Bills
Quarterback
Josh Allen: 23/30, 263 yards, 4 TD | 6 carries, 44 yards
Mitch Trubisky: 1/1, 3 yards | 1 carry, 0 yard
The battle between Allen and Lawrence tonight was the literal definition of the “have” and “have nots.” Josh Allen had a mega-efficient game, going 23 for 30 on 263 yards while rushing for 44 yards as well. The line would have looked better, but the game was signaled as over going into the fourth quarter, and the rushing started to unfold between James Cook, Ty Johnson, and Ray Davis. Allen has made himself the early season favorite for NFL MVP, and it’s due in no small part to his ability to spread the ball around and be a dual threat when the need arises. Cook has become a co-pilot in the backfield for him, and has helped unlock another level to Allen’s game, as the rushing game can’t be ignored. From the moment the Cook rushing touchdown happened a few minutes into the first quarter, the Bills were in the driver’s seat, and Dalton Kincaid tacked another touchdown on the board just a few minutes later in the first quarter. Allen was rushed out of the pocket, and after eyeing up a few options, hit Dalton Kincaid sliding out of the back of the end zone.
DALTON KINCAID, WELCOME TO THE 2024 FANTASY FOOTBALL SEASON.pic.twitter.com/U5BOx1jGMD
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 24, 2024
Running Backs
James Cook: 11 carries, 39 yards | 5 targets, 4 receptions, 48 yards, 1 TD
James Cook is going to be an elite runner in the NFL for a while to come. The brother of Dalvin Cook, James was profiled more as a “shifty” back coming out of college, which means the talent scouts think he’s Darren Sproles. That’s not the case, however, as Cook can take you down on both levels via the rushing or receiving game. Because the game plan requested it, Cook had more receiving yards than rushing yards tonight and it worked out just fine. Cook even had a nice cementing of his role when he didn’t see the field for almost the entire fourth quarter due to the nature of the blowout.
Ty Johnson: 3 carries, 18 yards | 3 targets, 3 receptions, 28 yards
Ray Davis: 7 carries, 22 yards | 1 reception, 8 yards
Ty Johnson didn’t have to travel very far to get a new job, as he found himself out of the Jets roster and onto the Bills roster. This may end up being a better situation for him, as he’s seeing almost a third of the carries to start this season. Ray Davis is also a hard-headed rusher who can bowl himself at the defense, but they complement each other well and will push this trio into the playoffs (likely), as they can spell and rest any of them when need be.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Khalil Shakir: 6 targets, 6 receptions, 72 yards, 1 TD
Khalil Shakir had himself the most efficient game you can have, reeling in every target for 72 yards and a touchdown. Now his highest target number for the season, it seems as if Shakir may have snuggled into the Gabe Davis cave, and will be returning every weekend to wreak havoc on unknowing secondaries. Shakir has some speed, runs decent enough routes, and finds himself open. He would absolutely be someone I would be targeting in trades.
Dalton Kincaid: 5 targets, 3 receptions, 41 yards, 1 TD
Dalton Kincaid is no stranger to the press, as he’s been the name to know at tight end until Brock Bowers joined the NFL. Kincaid was drafted in the first round as a new weapon for Josh Allen just last season, and the signs point to Allen being on the same page with him, and trending in the right direction. Kincaid found in this game that finding your route locked up and getting open when plays start to break down may be a huge benefit in Buffalo. Allen can keep the ball and run and make time, and Kincaid benefitted with his back-of-the-end-zone touchdown, and this could be something we see a lot moving forward.
Keon Coleman: 1 target, 1 reception, 24 yards, 1 TD
Josh Allen was the Oprah of the NFL tonight, as everyone could get themselves a touchdown. Keon Coleman was another highly invested player in the Bills offensive locker room but hasn’t yet found a role for himself in Buffalo. He hauled in his lone target for the evening in the end zone, but it is worrisome that Keon may find himself as their fifth-best option behind Josh, James, Dalton, and Khalil. I’d be very ready to try and move him off this performance line with a touchdown and his hype in the offseason.
Curtis Samuel: 3 targets, 3 receptions, 22 yards
Marques Valdes-Scantling: 2 target, 1 reception, 7 yards
Dawson Knox: 2 targets, 1 reception, 7 yards