The energy at EverBank Stadium was unlike anything I've seen in a decade. People were actually believing. Then, in just over sixty seconds of game time, it all kinda evaporated. If you are looking for the score of the Jacksonville football game, the final number is 27-24, with the Buffalo Bills walking away with the Wild Card win.
It stings. There’s no other way to put it. Jacksonville came into this postseason as the AFC South champions after a dominant 41-7 win over the Titans just a week prior. They had momentum. They had a 13-4 regular-season record. But playoff football is a different beast, and Josh Allen—the Buffalo version—reminded everyone why he’s the reigning MVP.
The Heartbreak at EverBank
The game was a literal see-saw. Honestly, you've probably seen more stable playground equipment. There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter alone.
When Travis Etienne Jr. caught that 14-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Lawrence with only 4:07 left on the clock, the stadium felt like it might actually collapse from the noise. The Jaguars were up 24-20. It felt like the "Stadium of the Future" was arriving a few years early.
But Buffalo didn't blink.
💡 You might also like: Huskers vs Michigan State: What Most People Get Wrong About This Big Ten Rivalry
Josh Allen led a 66-yard march that was as methodical as it was painful to watch if you were wearing teal. He eventually punched it in himself from the 1-yard line with 1:04 left. 27-24.
The Jaguars had one last gasp. One minute left. No timeouts. Lawrence tried to find Jakobi Meyers down the middle, but Tre'Davious White tipped the ball. It felt like it stayed in the air for an hour. When Cole Bishop finally snatched it for the interception, the season was basically over.
Why the Score of the Jacksonville Football Game Doesn't Tell the Whole Story
Looking at a 27-24 box score doesn't show you how much Jacksonville actually controlled the trenches. The Jaguars outrushed the Bills 154 to 79. That’s wild when you consider Buffalo had the top-ranked rushing offense in the league this year.
- Travis Etienne Jr. was a workhorse, showing why the looming contract discussions are going to be so complicated.
- Cam Little provided one of the few first-half highlights, though he did miss an earlier opportunity that fans will be thinking about for a while.
- Parker Washington stepped up big after dealing with concussion protocol earlier in the game, snagging a crucial touchdown in the fourth.
The Jaguars' defense, led by Josh Hines-Allen and Foyesade Oluokun, held James Cook to just 46 yards. Usually, if you do that, you win. But when you're facing a guy like Josh Allen who can create 1-yard touchdown runs out of thin air when his team lets him, the math changes.
📖 Related: NFL Fantasy Pick Em: Why Most Fans Lose Money and How to Actually Win
What Went Wrong?
Execution. It sounds like a coaching cliché, but Head Coach Liam Coen was pretty blunt about it after the game. The Jags had a chance to go up by seven or more in the second quarter. Lawrence was stopped literally inches short of a first down at the Bills' 8-yard line.
Instead of a touchdown or even a chip-shot field goal, the Bills took over and scored. That’s a ten-point swing in a game decided by three.
Then there were the turnovers. Lawrence finished with three touchdowns, which is great, but those two interceptions were killers. In the playoffs, you've got to be near-perfect. The Bills didn't turn the ball over once.
A Quick Look at the 2025-2026 Season Journey
To understand why this loss feels so heavy, you have to look at where this team came from. Last year was a 4-13 disaster. This year? They won eight straight to close out the regular season.
👉 See also: Inter Miami vs Toronto: What Really Happened in Their Recent Clashes
- The Turning Point: A Week 10 loss to Houston where they blew a 19-point lead. Most teams fold there. This group won every single game after that until Sunday.
- The Record Breaker: Cam Little hitting a 67-yarder against Tennessee (after already hitting a 68-yarder earlier in the year).
- The Division Clincher: That 41-7 blowout of the Titans that made the city feel like a Super Bowl was actually possible.
What's Next for the Jaguars?
The "offseason of decisions" starts now. It’s not just about the score of the Jacksonville football game anymore; it’s about the roster.
The front office has to decide if they can afford to keep Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd. Both are going to want top-of-the-market money. Then you have guys like Andrew Wingard and Montaric Brown—the "glue guys" who make the locker room work.
The silver lining? Trevor Lawrence looks like the guy. He finished the regular season with 29 passing touchdowns and another nine on the ground. He’s playing at an MVP-caliber level, especially since the bye week.
If you're looking to keep track of the roster moves over the coming weeks, keep a close eye on the franchise tag window. The team needs to prioritize protecting Lawrence even more if they want to get past the divisional round next year. You should also check out the early 2026 mock drafts; with a 13-4 record, the Jags will be picking much later than they’re used to, which changes the scouting strategy entirely.