Bills must win on the road and in Jacksonville

The Buffalo Bills open their 2025-26 playoff run Sunday at Jacksonville’s EverBank Stadium; coach Sean McDermott and GM Brandon Beane remain without a playoff road win. To reach the Super Bowl the Bills will likely need three straight victories away from Orchard Park, beginning with this game.

The Buffalo Bills open their 2025-26 playoff run with a road game Sunday at EverBank Stadium against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Since Sean McDermott became coach and Brandon Beane became general manager in 2017, the franchise has not won a playoff game on the road. To reach the Super Bowl the Bills will likely need three straight road wins outside Orchard Park, starting with this matchup. The game brings renewed attention to past losses in Jacksonville, recent roster moves and an injury report that could affect kicking and the secondary. Key facts: - Game: Buffalo at Jacksonville, 1 p.m. Sunday at EverBank Stadium. - McDermott and Beane are 0-5 in playoff road games, with Josh Allen the quarterback for all but one of those losses. - The Bills will likely need three consecutive road wins to reach the Super Bowl unless an unusual sequence of AFC results changes the bracket. - Buffalo will be without rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston for at least this week, and kicker Matt Prater is listed as "more day to day" after aggravating a quadriceps injury; the team said it may bring in tryouts if needed. - Jacksonville went 7-1 at EverBank Stadium and the team recorded 31 takeaways and 22 interceptions this season. - Buffalo has been vulnerable against the run; Jaguars running back Travis Etienne rushed for 1,107 yards, and Trevor Lawrence threw for 4,007 yards and 29 touchdowns this season. Summary: The Bills face a familiar but unresolved challenge: securing their first playoff road victory, beginning Sunday in Jacksonville. The result will influence Buffalo’s path through the AFC bracket and whether the team must pursue additional road wins to advance.