Bills-Jaguars Preview By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior Writer
The Buffalo Bills are bruised and battered - and not just from a physical standpoint. With injuries continuing to plague Rex Ryan's team, the Bills look to bounce back from another ugly defeat Sunday when they face the reeling Jacksonville Jaguars in London. Buffalo (3-3) arrived in England this week determined to leave the memory of last Sunday's 34-21 home loss to Cincinnati on the other side of the Atlantic. After EJ Manuel opened with a 2-yard touchdown run, the Bengals scored 34 of the next 41 points to remain undefeated and send the Bills to a second double-digit defeat. ''We got to flush the toilet, so to speak, on one game," Ryan said. ''There's no question about it. We got to get better." That might not be easy with all the lingering injuries and personal problems within the team. It's uncertain if quarterback Tyrod Taylor will miss a second consecutive contest with a sprained knee ligament. Taylor, who has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and four interceptions in five games, said he's making progress and is preparing to play. ''It feels good. It's getting better,'' he said. ''We're in good conversation as far as how I feel. At the end of the day, it's up to the coaches to make the decision.'' Making his first start since Sept. 28 of last year, Manuel was 28 of 42 for 263 yards with a TD and an INT as he battled inconsistency last Sunday. LeSean McCoy appears healthy after rushing for 90 yards and a TD on 17 carries in his return from missing two games with a hamstring injury. However, Percy Harvin remains absent after missing the last two contests with what Ryan called ''a personal issue," and the status of fellow receiver Sammy Watkins (left ankle) is uncertain. Watkins arrived in London wearing a walking boot and on crutches, and he's also complained in recent weeks about not being targeted enough. Backup running back Karlos Williams has also missed two games because of a concussion. Defensively, the Bills are minus tackle Kyle Williams after he suffered a knee injury suffered against the Bengals. They're also missing safety Aaron Williams (neck) and cornerback Leodis McKelvin (ankle). ''We've had a ton of injuries, just a bunch of them, that's kind of offset us a little bit,'' Ryan said. ''Right now we got to make do with where we're at. ''Did we want to have a better record? Absolutely we did. But we've earned the 3-3 record.'' Other issues have lingered around the team, with star end Mario Williams reportedly questioning the way he's been used in the defense and tackle Marcell Dareus echoing those sentiments. While Buffalo is making its first appearance in London, Jacksonville (1-5) lost to San Francisco there in 2013 and to Dallas last season. However, Jaguars owner Shad Khan has said he wouldn't mind if his team played a game in London every season for the foreseeable future. "For us, London and Jacksonville is almost a marriage made in heaven," he told the team's official website in September. "It's been probably the No. 1 element in stabilizing the Jacksonville Jaguars. "I think it's a crucial part of our franchise, to be able to play games there, to get the recognition and get the fan base. We have invested here and we want to invest obviously in London, and we want to have a long-term horizon to be able to do that." The short-term goal for Jacksonville is to avoid a fourth straight defeat. Though Blake Bortles threw for 331 yards and three TDs, he was picked off three times while the Jaguars allowed at least 30 points for the third time in four games last Sunday, falling 31-20 to Houston. ''They've got to fight through that," coach Gus Bradley said. "You cannot press and try to make plays happen. You've just got to let them come to you. You've got to go through your reads. You've got to trust your teachings, your preparation and go about it that way.'' Jacksonville ranks 30th with 29.3 points per game allowed and has been outscored 93-47 after the first half. With only 12 sacks through six games, Bradley plans to use more five- and six-man pressure looks this week. Buffalo quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times, tied for eighth-most in the league. ''Pressures can do a couple of things,'' Bradley said. ''One, I think it can stimulate a defense. You can see it bring energy. "The whole intent is to try to affect the quarterback and force him to make bad decisions, so I think that's what you're looking at.'' If Jacksonville rookie running back T.J. Yeldon (groin) misses a second straight game, Toby Gerhart and Denard Robinson would again likely share the backfield workload, but they'll need to improve on last week's effort. The two players combined for 45 yards on 16 carries while Bortles gained a team-high 37 on four against the Texans. Manuel threw two TDs and ran for another in Buffalo's 27-20 victory over Jacksonville in 2013. |