Game Takeaways: Jaguars defeat Bills, become first team to win consecutive games overseas

Darious Williams was targeted by Buffalo. The Bills tried to single the six-year veteran cornerback out multiple times throughout their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.

But the one time in the fourth quarter where they tried to take a deep shot on him, Williams delivered.

Josh Allen aired out a canon shot deep down the field to star receiver Stefon Diggs, who had a step on Williams. But Williams recovered and snagged the 50-50 pass to prevent the Bills from being in striking distance for a go-ahead score.

Williams, who scored a pick-six last week in London against the Falcons, made a game changing play for Jacksonville as the Jaguars defeated the Bills 25-20 in an AFC clash.

It was the second of back-to-back games played in London for Jacksonville and the second consecutive win overseas for the reigning AFC South champs.

The game marked the return of offensive lineman Cam Robinson, who was activated following his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy last week. But Jacksonville’s offensive line stability was short lived as Walker Little exited the game in the first quarter with a knee injury.

It became a recurring theme as the Jaguars struggled to clear the way on running plays and to keep pressure from quarterback Trevor Lawrence.

Still, Lawrence overcame the struggles, turning in 25 of 37 completions for 315 yards and a touchdown in the win. Calvin Ridley was his favorite target, securing seven catches on eight targets for 122 yards.

No catch was bigger than his 32-yard reception on third down in the fourth quarter that set up a 35-yard, game-sealing touchdown run by Travis Etienne.

Defensively, the Jaguars did a solid job of containing Allen. They allowed a few spark plays to Diggs throughout the game but held the Bills to seven points through three quarters and 20 for the game.

Etienne churns out 100+ yard performance to seal the win

Travis Etienne iced the game with his late rushing touchdown, squeezing through a gap in the offensive line and darting to the end zone for the longest rush this season.

It was the feather in his cap on a strong performance for the third-year running back, finishing with 136 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

It's the second consecutive game where Etienne had 20 or more carries and marks the fourth of five showings where he's had 18 or more rushing attempts.

Cam Robinson makes debut, offensive line struggles continue

A point of emphasis this season has been the struggles of Jacksonville's offensive line through the start of the season. It was expected that once Robinson returned, those concerns would be shored up.

But that wasn't the case as Robinson made his debut for Jacksonville, but the struggles continued for the unit as a whole.

There were drive killing penalties on rookie Anton Harrison. A strip sack from a pressure allowed by Robinson to end the first half and a rough run blocking performance from the entire unit.

The worst play of the bunch came on a poor snap from Luke Fortner that forced the team into a third-and-36 on a potential scoring drive.

It's something that Jacksonville skated by with, but they need more consistency if they hope to improve offensively as the season progresses.

J-Villians hold steady, keep streak alive on first drive

A bit of an under the radar statistic has shown it's face to start the season. For the fifth consecutive week, Jacksonville’s defense forced a three-and-out on the opening possession for their opponent.

That’s five straight weeks of shutting down the opposing offense on first contact. An impressive streak given the caliber opponents that Jacksonville has faced so far.

Zay Jones scores touchdown against his former team

Zay Jones missed two weeks due to a lingering knee injury that he picked up against Kansas City in Week 2. But the seventh-year receiver had an instant impact in his return for Jacksonville by scoring a first quarter touchdown against his former team.

Jones extended to snag a six-yard pass from Lawrence at the back of the endzone, contorting his body to secure the ball and stay inbounds.

It was a positive sign for Jones and the Jaguars who’ve struggled to finish drives with touchdowns this season.

Jones began his professional career in Buffalo before being traded to the Raiders after two years and a rough start in the NFL. But he was able to bounce back from that start and find a home in Jacksonville after signing with the Jaguars as a free agent last summer.

Jaguars make history, become first team to secure back-to-back wins overseas

When the NFL released the 2023 schedules, Jacksonville was bound to make history. They were slated to become the first team to play consecutive games overseas in the history of the league.

After picking up two consecutive victories in London, they're officially the first team to win back to back games overseas in the same season.

They are the guinea pigs for the league and this'll open the door for more teams to play consecutive games as the NFL expands its reach to other countries in the future.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Game takeaways: Jacksonville Jaguars defeat Buffalo Bills 25-20 in London