AFC Wild Card Game Day Newsletter 10 Jan 7th Bills_Digital | Page 62

rushing leaders in the NFL in 2017.
Even with that fi nal ranking, there is plenty of
room for improvement on the ground.
As of late, there have been moments where the
running game has spun its wheels – a prime
example, last week’s Week 17 loss to the Titans,
when the Jaguars collectively rushed for only 87
yards, with a long run of 9 yards.
Can the Jaguars get back to the form they showed
in Pittsburgh early in the season? Remember
the 13-play drive in the second half when the
Jaguars ran on every play to kill clock and add
a fi eld goal? That effectively ended any hopes of
a Steelers comeback, and that’s the kind of play
the Jaguars need with a lead in the postseason.
Protecting the football is paramount, and for the
most part this season, quarterback Blake Bortles
and the offense has done just that.
Seven turnovers over the last two weeks of
the regular season led directly to 24 points
for opponents. Let’s hope the Jaguars offense
got that out of their system heading into the
playoffs.
AP Images
The health of the Jaguars on the offensive side
is promising as well. Wide receiver Allen Hurns
returned to the lineup last week after missing six
weeks with an ankle injury. Wide receiver Marqise
Lee and left tackle Cam Robinson each missed
last week’s game, but Head Coach Doug Marrone
said both were trending up as the week ended.
Fournette has continued to work through bumps
and bruises throughout his rookie season.
If you can crawl, this is the time of year you
will fi nd a way to play. Expect this Jaguars team
to be as close to full strength as it can be for
today’s game.
BUFFALO BILLS
With a 9-7 fi nish, the Bills awaited the result
of the Week 17 Bengals-Ravens game to see
their postseason fate. An incredible fourth-down
touchdown pass from Bengals quarterback Andy
Dalton sent the Ravens home for the postseason
and put the Bills in the playoffs for the fi rst time
since 1999.
The major question all week is the status of
running back LeSean McCoy, who was carted off
the fi eld in last week’s game with an ankle injury.
McCoy fi nished fourth in the league with 1,138
AP IMAGES