Buffalo Plus Podcast: What They're Saying in JACKSONVILLE about BILLS vs JAGS with JP Shadrick

Podcast: Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills Podcast

Episode Date: September 17, 2024

Host: Mike Catalana (Buffalo Plus team)

Guest: JP Shadrick (Senior Reporter, Jacksonville Jaguars)

Episode Overview

This episode delivers an in-depth preview of the Buffalo Bills’ upcoming matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars by hosting JP Shadrick, a key Jags insider. The discussion centers on the Jaguars’ rocky start (0-2), their offensive challenges, organizational pressures, and the intriguing connections and history between the two franchises. The conversation provides Bills fans with an inside look at what’s happening in Jacksonville, roster developments, and game plan expectations, directly from someone embedded with the team.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of the Jaguars: Early Season Struggles

• Jacksonville’s 0-2 Start: JP details the Jags’ close losses to Miami and Cleveland, focusing on blown leads, defensive struggles, and missed opportunities.
  • Miami Game: “They were two yards away from going up three scores late in the third [quarter]... ETN inexplicably fumbles... Tyreek goes for 80 and it’s a totally different feel.” (01:21)
  • Cleveland Game: “The Jags defense couldn’t get off the field in the first half... Browns had the ball for 20 minutes in the first half and the Jags offense could not find time to get a rhythm.” (01:40)
• Locker Room Mood: Despite outside panic, JP says the team appears united internally and believes its issues are fixable, particularly with more discipline and execution.

2. Trevor Lawrence: The Promise and the Pressure

• Mixed Performances & Accountability: Trevor’s superstar potential is evident, but he’s yet to deliver consistently elite results.
  • “Trevor’s got something at him... but I don’t think we’ve quite even come close to seeing what he can do as a whole in this league.” – JP Shadrick (00:00 / 03:35)
  • On Lawrence’s Accountability: “We suck right now... we got a good group, we got good players and we can be a good, really good offense, but clearly we’re not. So everybody’s gotta take accountability.” – quoting Trevor Lawrence’s press conference (05:35)
• Leadership Question: JP notes this is the most “raw” and publicly frustrated version of Lawrence he’s seen, raising the possibility of a pivot point for the team: “If they respond to him and follow him the right way, I think good things can come.” (06:10)

3. Doug Peterson—Leadership and Organizational Pressure

• Expectations and Urgency:
  • “When the Jaguars owner... comes out before training camp in front of a team meeting and says, ‘The time to win is now.’ That tells you everything you need to know—the pressure is on around the organization.” (06:43)
• Change in Approach: Peterson is under pressure to make rapid adjustments—on offense and defense—rather than relying on late-season surges. The team is facing a stretch of key AFC games; early tiebreakers could be decisive.

4. Weapons for Trevor Lawrence: New Faces and Old Struggles

• Gabriel Davis (ex-Bills WR):
  • “Gabe’s a crafty, solid, veteran route runner... He knows how to find an open spot and get open and that’s kind of what they need in this offense.” (08:58)
• Brian Thomas Jr. (Rookie WR):
  • “He’s tall, he’s fast and he’s smart... A little bit more than they anticipated, some of his route running has been a whole lot crisper and smarter than you thought.” (09:26)
• Mainstays Not Clicking:
  • “This offense is designed to run through Christian Kirk and Evan Ingram... Those guys... have not done a darn thing yet this season.” (10:09)
  • Kirk: Just four catches; Ingram hampered by injury.

5. Injury Watch: Evan Ingram (TE)

• Hamstring Complication: Suffered during pregame, minimal participation since.
  • “If there’s any risk at all, I think you set him down for another week. But you got to have your best horses out there to go play.” (11:13)
• Backup Option: Brenton Strange impressed when called upon.

6. Running Game: ETN and Tank Bigsby

• No Dominance Yet:
  • “They like the idea of the one, two punch, two different styles... They’ll have them on the field together sometimes too.” (13:18)
  • ETN as explosive, outside-the-tackles threat, Bigsby as more of a power option—though not a pure bruiser.
• Offensive Line Concerns: Blocking inconsistency makes it hard for any RB to shine.

7. Jags’ Defense: The (Real) Josh Allen and Pass Rush

• Impact Pass Rushers:
  • “You know he’s going to go about his business the right way... wants to be an elite pass rusher.” (15:48)
  • Noted for disrupting Bills in past matchups. “He’s always around the ball in the backfield.”
• Trayvon Walker: Still developing, but the tandem with Allen could threaten opposing QBs as they grow together.

8. Bills-Jags Recent History & Connections

• Wild, Painful Losses for Bills:
  • “I think the Bills fans... when they hear the name Jacksonville Jaguars, they take a step back. Because most of the history between these two teams... is on Jacksonville side.” (17:35)
  • JP recalls major moments: 2021’s infamous 9-6 game, 2017 playoff loss, Jim Kelly’s final game, past head coaching crossovers.
• Potential for Rivalry: With both teams poised for sustained contention, the hosts speculate this could be an ongoing postseason rivalry.

9. Game Plan: What Must Happen for the Jags to Beat the Bills?

• JP’s Keys for Jacksonville:
  • “Jaguars have to run the football and I think control the tempo of the game offensively and they need early success to be able to do that.” (21:12)
  • Extend drives, keep Josh Allen off the field, leverage play-action, and weather tight end mismatches defensively.
  • “This is a defense that... historically... has issues with tight ends. They haven’t seen a lot of that yet this year... The tight end play in Buffalo is good this year.” (22:25)
  • Offensively, first-down success to set up manageable 2nd and 3rd downs is critical.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Trevor Lawrence:

  • “I don’t think we’ve quite even come close to seeing what he can do as a whole in this league.” – JP Shadrick (00:00 / 03:35)
  • “We suck right now...we got a good group, we got good players... everybody’s gotta take accountability.” – Trevor Lawrence postgame, recalled by JP (05:35)

• On organizational urgency:

  • “The time to win is now. That tells you everything you need to know—the pressure is on around the organization.” – JP quoting owner Shad Khan’s preseason speech (06:43)

• On Bills-Jags history:

  • “I think the Bills fans... when they hear the name Jacksonville Jaguars, they take a step back. Because most of the history between these two teams... is on Jacksonville side.” – Mike Catalana (17:35)

• On Jacksonville’s path to victory:

  • “Run the ball, stay on the field, keep them off balance and then play good sturdy run defense... and see if Josh Hines Allen and Trayvon Walker can turn up the heat.” – JP Shadrick (22:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:21] – Jaguars’ losses breakdown
• [03:35] – Trevor Lawrence’s status, potential
• [05:35] – Lawrence’s accountability postgame
• [06:43] – Pressure on Doug Peterson and organization
• [08:58] – Gabe Davis and Brian Thomas Jr. analysis
• [10:09] – Christian Kirk and Evan Ingram struggles
• [11:13] – Ingram’s hamstring injury update
• [13:18] – Jags’ running backs and run-game challenges
• [15:48] – Josh Allen (DE) impact discussion
• [17:35] – Bills-Jags wild game history
• [21:12] – What Jaguars need to do to win

Tone & Style

The episode reflects the Buffalo Plus team’s signature blend of insider expertise, wry humor, and candid, direct analysis. JP Shadrick’s perspective is even-handed, unfiltered, and detailed—grounded in both locker room observation and understanding of the team’s structure. The conversation is lively, accessible to both casual and diehard fans.

For more, follow JP Shadrick at Jaguars.com and @JPShadrick on X (Twitter), and watch Buffalo Plus on YouTube for future episodes.