Evaluating the Jaguars' Playoffs Matchup With Bills

Jaguars head coach Liam Coen has led the franchise to a 13-4 record in his first season as head coach, becoming just one of seven first-year head coaches to ever win 13 games or more in his debut season. Now, though, Coen will have to prepare the Jaguars for their biggest challenge yet.

The Jaguars have played other Super Bowl contenders and MVP-caliber quarterbacks this season, but the playoffs are a different animal. The stakes are raised and it is a whole new ball game when the Jaguars host the playoff-tested Bills on Sunday.

"We have an opportunity to wear pads again this week in practice now that the playoffs start back up. So, we may throw pads on this week to be able to go based on our health and I think it just gets up-ticked a little bit. It's just the ever-evolving standard of the way that we operate, the way that we walk through, the way we practice, the way that we meet," Coen said.

"And then, yeah, Sunday at 1 o'clock, it may be a little faster. It may be a little bit more physical. I don't know. I think that's just kind of what you feel when you know it’s one and done, right? When you know you're in a game that it's win or go home. So, I'm sure the intensity level will be up-ticked a little bit, but I think our guys will be ready for it.”

While the Bills have been in the post-season on an annual basis for most of Josh Allen's prime, the Jaguars have some clear advantages in terms of their offense vs. the Bills defense and their secondary against the Bills' receivers.

But ultimately, it is going to come down to which team is more prepared for everything that is set to be thrown at them.

“Yeah, look, I know [Bills Head] Coach [Sean] McDermott and that staff, they've won a lot of football games and a lot of playoff games, a lot of big games and they're going to look at everything. They're going to look at everything that we've done; they're going to look at what they do and how to combat those things," Coen said.

"Different ways that we create explosives on offense and vice versa, how to defend those things. I think they're pretty buttoned up that way. So, it's really about continuing to find things that you're good at, making them look maybe a little bit different or calling them at different times, whatever it is. But you can't get away from what has gotten you here and, and ultimately what you hang your hat on in so many ways. So, it's definitely that chess match that's fun about coaching.”

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