JACKSONVILLE -- Senior writer John Oehser examines key plays from the Jaguars’ 27-24 loss to the Buffalo Bills in a 2025 AFC Wild Card Playoff Game at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville Sunday.

1. Deep – and uh oh. The Jaguars couldn't stop Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the fourth quarter Sunday, with perhaps no moment so big as a long pass that set up the game-winning touchdown. The Bills faced first-and-10 at their 44 with the Jaguars leading 24-20 with 2:27 remaining. Allen on the play faded deep in the pocket and – with Jaguars linebacker Devin Lloyd pressuring on a blitz – found wide receiver Brandin Cooks behind cornerback Greg Newsome II for a 36-yard gain to the Jaguars 20. "We get hit on a little bit of a busted coverage there," Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen said. Allen converted fourth-and-1 from the 11 with a 10-yard sneak and the Bills' blocking pushing him to the 1, then Allen gave the Bills a 27-24 lead with a 1-yard sneak with 1:04 remaining. Safety Cole Bishop intercepted a deflected pass from Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence to wide receiver Jakob Meyers on the first play of the ensuing series to secure victory for the Bills. "Once you get it down to the 1-yard line, we decided to freeway it, let them score and try to get the ball back," Coen said. "Then we do, and ended up throwing an interception. It was just a tough ending."

2. ETN again … The teams exchanged the lead four times in a high-end fourth quarter, with Lawrence throwing two fourth-quarter touchdowns – with each giving the Jaguars the lead. The second of these drives came with the Jaguars trailing 20-17. The Jaguars drove 77 yards on 10 plays, with Lawrence capping the drive with a 14-yard touchdown pass to running back Travis Etienne Jr.. for a 24-20 lead with 4:07 remaining. "We kept battling, and it's a shame the way it ended, just not to be able to finish it," Lawrence said.

3 … and P-Dub again. The fourth quarter began with the Jaguars taking their first lead since late in the second quarter when Lawrence capped an 11-play, 62-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Parker Washington. That gave the Jaguars a 17-13 lead with 12:55 remaining. Washington caught seven passes for 107 yards and a touchdown Sunday. "He's such a tough competitor, played his ass off," Coen said of Washington. "I appreciate Parker to the fullest and look forward to working with him in the future."

4. Just short. Momentum turned with the Jaguars leading 7-3 with 11:21 remaining in the first half, with the Bills stopping a run by Lawrence inches short on fourth-and-2 from the Bills 9. Lawrence initially appeared to gain the line to gain, but the Bills challenged and Lawrence was ruled short. The Bills immediately drove 92 yards on 10 plays, with Allen powering for a 2-yard run for a 10-7 lead with 5:37 remaining in the second quarter. Key play on the drive: A 36-yard pass deep down the right sideline from Allen to wide receiver Keon Coleman on second-and-10 from the Jaguars 44. "Not even a close decision," Coen said. "It was all go for it on all the metrics. With where you're at down there that low, you've got to go for it. Fourth down, that low, you at least feel like you're going to have to an opportunity to stop them and have a field-position change, and very worst you get the ball back with good field position, and it didn't end up working out."

5a. Doink. The Jaguars narrowly missed a chance for halftime momentum when kicker Cam Little's 54-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the second quarter bounced no good off the left upright. The Jaguars had driven 61 yards on four plays from their 3-yard line with 1:05 remaining to set up the attempt.

5b. Impressive response. Lawrence had an early mistake Sunday. It was how the Jaguars responded that defined a key stretch in the first half. The Jaguars took possession at their 35 trailing 3-0 after an early Bills field goal set up by a Bills first-quarter interception off Lawrence. The Jaguars drove impressively for the go-ahead score, with Lawrence capping a seven-play, 65-yard drive with a 3-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for a 7-3 lead with 14:14 remaining in the second quarter. Key plays on the drive: Three consecutive runs for 20, 14 and 13 yards by rookie running back Bhayshul Tuten to give the Jaguars first-and-goal at the Bills 3.

5c. Early oh no – and a big stop. The teams exchanged early punts and the Jaguars gained a sliver of momentum – and then came an early interception thrown by Lawrence. The Jaguars midway through the first quarter faced second-and-10 at their 40 when Lawrence threw deep down the seam to Washington. Bills linebacker Shaq Thompson intercepted Lawrence at the Bills 48 and returned it to the Jaguars 33. "I was just a little late on the throw to Parker, so he read my eyes back and made a play on it," Lawrence said. "Felt like I saw the coverage and knew where I was going with the ball, just a little bit late and didn't do a good enough job of holding him, and he got back in on the play." The Jaguars' defense made a big stop on the ensuing drive – holding the Bills to one yard and forcing a 50-yard field goal by Bills kicker Matt Prater for a 3-0 Bills lead with 2:54 remaining in the first quarter.