By CHUCK POLLOCK, Wellsville Sun and Olean Star Senior Sports Columnist
Talk about familiarity.
When the Bills and Jaguars meet at Highmark Stadium in the first of two Monday Night Football games (7:15 p.m., ESPN-TV, Bills Radio Network), it matches two teams that know each other well. The other game is Washington at Cincinnati (8:30 p.m., ABC-TV).
Buffalo head coach Sean McDermott and Jacksonville counterpart Doug Pederson worked together for two years as assistants with the Eagles.
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The Jaguars have two aides fired by McDermott on their staff, special teams coordinator Heath Farwell, axed immediately after the “13 seconds” though players insist he was innocent in that debacle, and wide receivers coach Chad Hall who was so beloved in Buffalo his players bought him a truck for Christmas.
Two former Bills are now starters for Jacksonville — center Mitch Morse and wide receiver Gabe Davis.
On Buffalo’s roster fresh from the Jaguars is defensive lineman Dawuane Smoot and four Bills assistants, including special teams coordinator Matthew Smiley, who replaced Farwell, also worked in Jacksonville.
MONDAY’S meeting is odd as the Jags are 0-2 and McDermott’s crew is 2-0, surprising starts for both.
Hence, Buffalo is favored by six points, among the longest odds on the NFL board this week, even though three key defenders are out, linebackers Matt Milano and Terrel Bernard and nickelback Taron Johnson.
But here’s the interesting reality. Since he was hired in 2017, McDermott has played the Jags four times and lost three.
The first was his rookie year as he steered the Bills into the playoffs for the first time in 17 years, but lost a 10-3 snooze-fest in Jacksonville. The next regular season, Buffalo prevailed in Orchard Park, 24-21. But the last two have been losses, the first an embarrassing 9-6 defeat on the road near the end of Urban Meyer’s ignominious less-than-a-season tenure with the Jags, and last year fell, 25-20, at Highmark.
WHEN ASKED about this year’s Jacksonville team, which lost at Miami on a field goal as time expired and dropped an 18-13 decision at home to Cleveland, McDermott allowed, “They’re extremely well-coached, play extremely hard and their front does a lot of good things and gives a lot of headaches.
“They have really good personnel across the team. Through two games they haven’t allowed a lot of points (36, three TDs and five field goals; the safety was by the offense).”
To which Bills quarterback Josh Allen added, “Statistically, they’re the best defense in the league right now. Their front seven get after it … they’ve got two really supreme edge rushers (Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker) and I’d even say three (Arik Armstead).
“The last couple times they’ve gotten the best of us. They’re really flying around on defense and playing real solid together. Those guys have a lot of motor and they don’t let up, so we have our hands full.”
Allen is hoping the Bills can continue their success running the ball, as they displayed in the 31-10 domination of the Dolphins, a week ago Thursday in Miami Gardens.
“In our situation last week, when we’re running the ball as well as we were and really had the ball in good field position the entire game … that’s just the kind of game it’s going to be,” he said. “It feels good to hand the ball off to James (Woods) and Ray-Ray (Davis) and let them go do some work and the offensive line is opening some holes for them. They’re running really hard and we’re having success doing it. If it’s working, keep calling it and (eventually) it will present opportunities in the pass game and we have to go make (those plays).”
AS FOR Morse and Davis changing teams, McDermott said, “I wish those guys well … two studs as it relates to what they’ve added here. Two guys that I loved being around and we loved having here that helped us have the success we had while they were here. Those two have left a mark on the organization in a good way and we’re glad that they’re happy.”
To which Allen added, “Mitch and Gabe are two guys that I’ve spent a lot of time with over the last few years and two guys that mean a lot to me not only football-wise, but off-the-field-wise. They’re real close friends and there are a lot of conversations that we’ve had over the years that I wouldn’t take back and I wouldn’t trade for anything … they’ve been brothers to me and I hope they feel the same about me.
“I’ve just got so much love and respect and support and anything you can think of for both of those guys. They meant a lot to me on the field, too. It’s takes a lot to win in this league and they were two huge contributors over the last several years and a big reason why we’ve won so many games. It will be good to see both of them.”
OF COURSE, there’s the electricity of a Monday Night game.
“I’m very excited, Bills (fans) live for games like this, so hopefully we have them in the building and they’re as loud as they can be,” Allen said, “making as much noise as they can when (Jacksonville) is on offense and hopefully quiet when we’re on offense … they’re the best fans in the league.”
Bills 23, Jaguars 16
(Chuck Pollock, an Olean Star and Wellsville Sun senior sports columnist, can be reached at cpollock@wnynet.net.)
