What They're Saying in JACKSONVILLE: Bills vs Jaguars PLAYOFF PREVIEW with Brent Martineau

Summary

Podcast Summary: Buffalo Plus – Bills vs Jaguars Playoff Preview with Brent Martineau

Podcast: Buffalo Plus: A Buffalo Bills podcast
Episode: What They're Saying in JACKSONVILLE: Bills vs Jaguars PLAYOFF PREVIEW with Brent Martineau
Date: January 6, 2026
Host(s): Mike Catalana, Jenna Cottrell, Dan Fetes
Guest: Brent Martineau (CBS 47, Fox 30, Action Sports Jax Network)

---

Episode Overview

This episode brings in Brent Martineau, a prominent Jacksonville Jaguars reporter, for a deep-dive into the Bills’ upcoming AFC Wild Card matchup against the Jaguars. The Buffalo Plus crew—Mike, Jenna, and Dan—explore the key storylines surrounding both teams, from quarterback performance and offensive philosophy to defensive metrics and organizational culture changes. The show offers fans exclusive insider perspective on both the Jaguars' recent surge and the Buffalo Bills’ outlook in a game many believe could send the winner to the Super Bowl.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Playoff Atmosphere and Fan Dynamics

• Bills Fan Travel: Brent notes the massive turnout of Bills Mafia the last time the teams met in the playoffs and speculates about this year’s attendance, suggesting Jacksonville fans are being encouraged not to sell tickets to Bills fans.
  “In 2017…I think the number was like 12 or 13,000 [Bills fans in Jacksonville]. …I wonder now, since they've gotten used to it a little bit…” (03:33 – Brent Martineau)

• Perception of Both Teams: Both franchises have had periods of playoff famine—Buffalo for 17 years, Jacksonville less accustomed to January football.

---

2. Jaguars' Offensive Evolution

Trevor Lawrence’s Emergence

• Quarterback Growth: Brent traces Lawrence’s development into a true franchise QB, noting that “swagger” and trust are finally evident. “We’re seeing it a bit different. This is kind of a Trevor that has some swagger, obviously…there’s like a throw or two every game that is like wow…They just believe that it’s okay to put the ball in number 16’s hands and he’s going to get the job done.” (04:02 – Brent Martineau)

The Jacoby Myers Effect

• Midseason Acquisition: Brent calls Myers’ arrival “one of the most significant moments of the season,” pointing to the trust he brought Lawrence and how that transformed the offense’s chemistry. “I’ve been a big Trevor supporter…and I think he just hasn’t had a lot to trust…he trusts Jacoby Myers and that trust started to sprinkle throughout this offense…” (05:42 – Brent Martineau)

• Stat Sheet vs. Impact: Myers’ influence goes beyond box score stats; his reliability lets others like Brian Thomas Jr., Brenton Strange, and Parker Washington flourish.

Offensive Playcalling and Philosophy

• Adaptation: Offensive coordinator Liam Cohen is credited with “par[ing] down” a complex offense post-bye week, letting Lawrence excel.
  “Whatever they are now doing to kind of create the best Trevor Lawrence, they have found it.” (05:42 – Brent Martineau)

• Run Game Usage: The Jags’ reliance on Trevor hasn’t come at the expense of Travis Etienne entirely, but Brent signals uncertainty about Jacksonville's ability (or intent) to grind out games on the ground if needed. “I think Liam Cohen wonders that right now if they need to run in a four minute offense…can they do it?” (13:50 – Brent Martineau)

Spotlight on Key Skill Players

• Brian Thomas Jr.: After a strong rookie year, Thomas struggled with drops and confidence but remains a deep threat; Myers’ presence let him move back outside, his comfort zone.
  “He’s 6’4”, he can fly. And I think he’s still the guy that defenses are afraid of because he can beat you over the top.” (10:07 – Brent Martineau)
• Parker Washington: Elevated after Christian Kirk’s injury, he’s now the Jags’ hottest receiver; compared to Troy Brown (Patriots) for his route-running and return skills. “He reminds me of Troy Brown for the New England Patriots…he can give you that in the passing game…but you look up and all of a sudden he’s got four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.” (12:07 – Brent Martineau)

---

3. Defense: Real or Mirage?

Run Defense and Context

• Statistics and Skepticism: Jacksonville's run defense is top-ranked but hasn’t consistently faced elite rushing teams.
  “There was a period of time where everybody was like, we’re just going to throw the ball against them. That’s the way to beat them. And so I don’t even think teams were trying to run at times.” (24:35 – Brent Martineau)
• Turnovers: The defense is thriving off turnovers (22 INTs, 31 overall) but isn’t the 2017 “Sacksonville” unit; it’s opportunistic but not always dominant.

Pass Rush and Front Seven

• Key Contributors:
  • Josh Allen (now Josh Hines-Allen): Standout edge presence.
  • Trayvon Walker, Arik Armstead, and Devon Hamilton: Formidable D-line, with Hamilton “playing at a very high level in that unsexy position.”
  • Foyesade Oluokun (LB): “Tackling machine,” highly underrated.
  • Devin Lloyd (LB): Splash plays, versatile.

---

4. Organizational Culture and Leadership Transformation

• Tony Boselli’s Impact: Hired as EVP, credited with reshaping the franchise culture, fostering transparency and alignment. “…That shared responsibility in some aspects has been very, very rewarding for this Jaguars franchise.” (19:18 – Brent Martineau)

• Youth at Key Positions:

  • First-year GM James Gladstone (35)
  • First-year head coach Liam Cohen (now 40), hired as a head coach for the first time at any level
  • Rookie coordinators on both sides

• Comparison to Detroit: Brent draws parallels to the Lions’ own cultural turnaround after hiring insiders who understood the team’s fanbase and struggles.
  “I thought Detroit was the blueprint…Chris Spielman…he knew the ins and outs of this building…so that’s why I was a big advocate to get Boselli involved.” (22:45 – Brent Martineau)

---

5. X-Factor—Special Teams

• Jaguars’ Kicking Edge:
  • Rookie Cam Little is described as a fun, unflappable kicker with enormous range (field goals in the 60+ yard range).
  • Liam Cohen’s confidence in Cam Little paid off after early misses.
    “He hasn’t missed since in the second half of the year.” (31:36 – Brent Martineau)
• Bills’ Uncertainty: Questions abound with Matt Prater’s quad injury—could be a playoff difference-maker.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brent Martineau on Trevor Lawrence’s new level:
  "He’s been a great CEO, but he hasn’t always been playing well. And now…they just believe that it’s okay to put the ball in number 16's hands and he’s going to get the job done." (04:02)

• On Jacoby Myers and Trust:
  "He [Myers] has made such a profound impact on the trust part of this...he understands how difficult the position is...he said, 'man, I could catch those passes blindfolded…that's how good the passes are.'" (08:02)

• On Jags’ Defense and Skepticism:
  "The stats will say what you all know, right? Number one, rush defense...But...they have not faced...this murderer's row of running backs." (24:35)

• Debate about Defensive Strength:

  • "What we'll do, Dan will handle this - he'll be like, we talked to an expert in Jacksonville who said the Jags defense isn't as good as everybody thinks. They're no good." (26:29 – Mike)
  • "There's nobody I respect more on Jacksonville than this man, but I think that there needs to be context to it." (26:49 – Dan)

• Brent’s perspective on the importance of culture:
  "I think alignment and transparency are two big things. These guys are very good at communicating…allowing the fans in with transparency in press conferences, in any other way, speaking to them at functions and events…has done a great job of that." (19:18)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Playoff Fan Dynamics / Opening Reflections – 02:13–03:34
• Jaguars' Offensive Surge & Trevor Lawrence – 04:02–05:29
• Jacoby Myers’ Impact / Trust Themes – 05:42–09:21
• Brian Thomas Jr.'s Role and Development – 10:07–12:00
• Parker Washington’s Emergence – 12:07–13:26
• Run Game Philosophy, ETN – 13:50–17:26
• Liam Cohen and “Duval” Culture – 17:26–18:59
• Boselli and Jaguars Culture Transformation – 19:18–21:15
• Youth Movement in Jaguars Leadership – 22:45–23:55
• Defensive Stat Skepticism & Debate – 24:08–27:45
• Jags D-Line and Pass Rush – 28:38–30:59
• Special Teams—Cam Little vs. Bills’ Kicking Uncertainty – 30:59–32:30
• Final Thoughts on the Matchup – 32:52–33:43

---

Conclusion

The episode delivers a multifaceted, insider preview of Bills-Jaguars, blending pragmatic analysis with local insights and some good-natured ribbing. Jacksonville’s offensive maturity under Trevor Lawrence, driven by trust and a cohesive staff, is a central storyline—yet questions remain about their run game and whether the defense is as formidable as the stats suggest. For the Bills, the challenge is to solve a Jaguars team that has found its identity and culture but may still be riding the highs of favorable schedule luck. The game’s X-factors—crowd presence and special teams—are set to play a pivotal role in what both sides agree is an AFC clash ripe with Super Bowl implications.

---

Find Brent Martineau:

• “Action Sports Jacks all over social media…ActionSportsJax.com…a lot of football talk in the Jacksonville Jaguars.” (33:43)

---

Transcript

[Dan]

Going to have a handoff here. Who can put their hand in front of the other person.

[Mike Catalano]

You gave Dan ammunition. The Jags defense isn't as good as everybody thinks. They're no good.

[Dan]

There's nobody I respect more on Jacksonville than this man, but I think that there needs to be context to it. I talked about the fact that I said they haven't faced over their eight game winning streak. A top ten rushing attack.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Welcome to my life. You are in the middle of what this is like with two children bickering about what the context is.

[Mike Catalano]

Hey everybody. Welcome back to Buffalo plus on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel. I'm Mike Catalano along with Dan Fates and Jenna Cottrell. Thanks for being with us as always. Please make sure to like, comment and subscribe. We are coming to you from the Connors and Ferris podcast studio and it is playoff week in the NFL. Jenna, you were saying? Feels like the year has flown by. Still feel like it has flown by?

[Jenna Cottrell]

Absolutely. I can't believe we're talking wild card, but I'm excited to do it.

[Mike Catalano]

And it's Jacksonville, Dan, and the matchup that I, I think for the last few weeks we thought we were going to get.

[Dan]

Yeah, I think that this year has been weird in the sense of the Bills have five losses and all five of them seems like their season ended after all five of their losses, so. But here we are fresh late heading into the postseason.

[Mike Catalano]

All right, so what we like to do here on the Buffalo Plus YouTube channel is Talk to the people who know the team that the Bills are going to play. And no one knows the Jacksonville Jaguars any better than Brent Martinell who's going to join us now. He's from CBS 47, Fox 30. You know him from the Action Sports Jacks Network if you're down in Jacksonville. He has been a sideline reporter for the Jags, both on the radio and the TV for the preseason game. Used to work in Albany, so he knows the New York State area very well. Brent, welcome to Buffalo Plus.

[Brent Martineau]

Wow. Thanks so much. Welcome to Jacksonville in a few days. It's nice to be in the playoffs. I know you guys get used to that. We don't really around here. So it's been fun to watch this Jags team this season and I think this is a heck of a matchup, by the way, coming up on Sunday.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah.

[Mike Catalano]

Yeah. Before we get to the matchup coming up, it's funny you say about not used to the playoffs when the Bills weren't used to the playoffs for 17 years when they Decided to finally make it back. They came down to Jacksonville for that game, and that Jags team almost made it to the Super Bowl. So, you know, maybe that happens for one of these two teams coming up on Sunday.

[Brent Martineau]

Oh, they have a lot of people actually talking in town that they think the winner of this game could end up in the Super Bowl. It's a wide open afc and. And I'm interested to see the Bills fans this time around because in 2017, I just brought this up today, that the crowd was fantastic in general, but a lot of Bills fans came down. I think the number was like 12 or 13,000. And you guys know Bill's mafia. They travel everywhere, but that was the first time they had been to the playoffs in so long, so they were thirsty for it. I wonder now, since they've gotten used to it a little bit, are they starting to plan? Well, they'll get by Jacksonville and then we'll see in New England or some. So it'd be interesting to see how many Bills fans are here. But we know they're coming and we're trying to encourage Jacksonville fans not to sell their tickets to them.

[Dan]

Yeah, I think that's a really good point because, like, everybody was so hungry and desperate for a playoff game and people were like, yeah, we'll just go down to Jacksonville. I wonder what it'll be like this time because they've become so accustomed to home games. And that's the big test is obviously now going on the road for the Bills.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. And we've even joked about on this podcast, like, where the Bills are at this season. Like, could they win on Sunday and go all the way to the super bowl or could they lose? Because there have been blemishes for this Bills team all season long. But I do want to ask you just about Jacksonville because you look from afar and it seems like the vibes are at like an all time high for this team, really. I know the new head coach knew like all the different things that go into the season, but what has really clicked for this team as of late, because the play on the field is obviously showing it.

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, they look like one of the best teams in the league right now, the way they're playing. And Trevor Lawrence is the story. Right. They've unlocked Trevor to his capability and we're seeing it even at a higher level than we saw it in 2022 when the Jags made a late push and Trevor from the end of 22 to really the first half of 23 up until December when the Jags were 8 and 3 and 23 and then collapsed. He got hurt. He was playing some of the best football in the, in the league. So people were talking about him like this, but now we're seeing it a bit different. This is kind of a Trevor that has some swagger, obviously. All the rushing touchdowns and there's like a throw or two every game that is like wow. Like this is why they said generational talent, right? This is what they've talked about with the skill set so it's on full display. And the, the feeling guys here about their quarterback, you guys again have been accustomed to this. You know what that's like when they just feed off that guy. Everybody wants the franchise QB to be the CEO and be the best player on the field and always been the case here. He's been a great CEO, but he hasn't always been playing well. And now you can just feel it from the players and the coaches that they just believe that it's okay to put the ball in number 16's hands and he's going to get the job done. And we have not sensed that in the five year career of Trevor Lawrence. I think that's the step he's now taken. And of course this organization is feeding off it because they're scoring about 33 a game since the bye week.

[Dan]

So what has unlocked Trevor? Is it Liam Cohen? Is it the wide receivers? Like, what is it? If you could put your finger on it and say Trevor's unlocked because of this.

[Brent Martineau]

I think it's a nuanced conversation as we probably all would know, but I'll say Liam Cohen and Jacoby Myers just to keep it simple. Liam Cohen has obviously got the best out of him. He's given Trevor a bit of an edge, but he's also put whatever he's putting on his plate the right stuff to put on his plate. This is a complicated offense that Liam Cohen brought in. They probably put too much on the entire offense at the beginning, but around the bye week they figured out how to pare that down like most teams do. And whatever they are now doing to kind of create the best of Trevor Lawrence, they have found it. But part of that is what I think is one of the most significant moments of the season. Jaguars lost Travis Hunter in a practice right before the second half of the year and you're like, oh my goodness, they just lost two games. They got throttled by the Rams in London. The season's teetering as they go play the Raiders and then they lose Travis Hunter. Well, their pivot was to go get Jacobe Myers and I know people have now seen that, but you're going to look at the box score, you're be like Jacobe Myers, okay, four catches for 39 yards or you know, six catches for 48 yards. It's bigger than that. I mean he has made such a profound impact on the trust part of this. I've been a big Trevor supporter around here and defender at times and I think he just hasn't had a lot to trust because they've had four different play callers, three different coaches, leads the league in drops almost every year. An offensive line that sometimes is good, sometimes is not. Guys running the wrong plays. Well, he trusts Jacobe Myers and that trust started to sprinkle throughout this offense and, and it's made Brian Thomas Jr. Better brain strange better. Parker Washington's playing excellent football. So I know that's a long answer, but it's a two part answer.

[Mike Catalano]

Brent, you, you were dismissing those yardages and catches for wide receivers and in Buffalo that guy would, they'd be putting a statue up for him. I mean wide receivers, when you're talking.

[Dan]

About wide receivers being dependable and somebody they can trust, look, that's something that Bill's fans have become accustomed to for, for a time. It hasn't been the case this year. So when you're sitting there like, hey, this guy who was available at the trade deadline and the Bills were, you know, apparently dipping their toe in the water, it's like, yeah, that guy, that guy's been pretty good for, for Trevor Lawrence unlocking that offense.

[Brent Martineau]

He's been unbelievable. And, and it's. They guys didn't do it right when he stepped on the field in the first practice. He's such a pro. And I think the, the cool story about Jacoby Myers used to play quarterback, I think people know that, but he understands how, how difficult the position is. And I found it interesting. Like Jacoby Myers made a pretty good impact I think the first game and then second game and you're doing interviews with him and he said, man, I could catch those passes blindfolded, like with my eyes closed. That's how good the passes are. So he started to infuse this confidence into the quarterback. Like that dude's awesome. And I think again that's where these dominoes started to fall. And, and now the play looks awesome. And Myers is not the reason why anymore. As much as Parker Washington who's come to life, I think he's really helped Brian Thomas Jr. Kind of gain some more Confidence and bring that long game back. And. And BTJ was out for a couple of games, but he's had a down year overall. So we're just looking at a collection of pass catchers that all of a sudden make a defense kind of wonder who to shut down. Denver. A couple of weeks ago, we were real curious. Would Pat Santan follow Brian Thomas Jr. Because he's so fast and a big threat, or would he try to take away the catalyst of this offense, which looks like Jacobe Myers? And I think that's what the defenses now have to wonder, which guy to take away.

[Mike Catalano]

All right.

[Dan]

My.

[Mike Catalano]

My last time picking on the Bills, but imagine choices for the number one corner to cover. See, we would joke that when you play against a team with a number one corner, it's a disadvantage for them because they. The Bills don't have anybody for them to cover.

[Dan]

The Bills don't have a number one.

[Mike Catalano]

Wide receiver, you know, or maybe not. But I want to know about Brian Thomas, though. And I loved Brian Thomas coming out of school. I saw the impact he had a year ago. I wanted the Bills to trade up to get him at the time. What happened in between because it felt like it really dropped for him. And I know you mentioned the injuries. Is he the same player that he was last year when he looked like he was ascending and now where he's. He sort of found his. His space within this Jags offense?

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, he's not the same player, clearly. I mean, he had such a good rookie season. Now, the rookie season last year came with a bit of a caveat. By the time they were throwing in the football last year, Trevor was out. A lot of guys were out. This was a bad football team. And they just realized this is the only guy we can throw it to. It was bubble screens. It was get him the ball. And he did a terrific job. His numbers piled up. I never thought he'd have the same numbers because of that this year. I think the problem this year, and it started in camp, was the drops and then the confidence with that and then the lost confidence, I think you could say maybe not spoken, but unspoken and subconsciously between the quarterback and him and maybe the play caller and him. And there have just been some moments. The Cincinnati game was a very bad game for Brian Thomas Jr. Jack should have won that game. He had multiple drops. He shied away from contact most of the time. And I think what they tried to do is open him up to be able to run more routes and make defenses, really look at him. And they Tried to get him to go over the middle. Well, I don't think he was comfortable going over the middle coming out of the slot or wherever else. And it showed. He was a guy and probably high school and definitely at LSU and last year that basically ran outside the numbers and come get me. Right. And the Jags, once he did get healthy again after getting banged up with an ankle injury, I think they went back to that and Jacoby Myers allowed them to go back to that, which opened up the middle of the field for Trevor, for Myers and Brenton Strange and Parker Washington. But you still have to pay attention to Brian Thomas Jr. In his speed. He's 6 4, he can fly. And I think he's still the guy that defenses are afraid of because he can beat you over the top. He still is around here. There's a lot, not a ton of confidence all the time. The ball goes up to him. But he's catching more passes than he did in the beginning of the season. Now people would like to see him go get a 50, 50 ball in a deep route. He still hasn't been able to pull that in.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Yeah. Talking more about just this offense, what have you seen from Parker Washington? Like, what stands out to you about his game?

[Brent Martineau]

He's a cool player now. It's, that's a fun one. This is fun to watch these guys kind of grow. He's a young guy at 23 years old still and he's totally just a, a depth Play. As a 6 round pick out of Penn State, he's behind Christian Kirk and Kirk is a technician, I think an underrated player in the National Football League, especially when the Jags got him and he has replaced him. He's, he's very good at route running. He's, he's, he's crafty for a young guy and he's not afraid of anything. If you want to look at the most athletic catches the Jags make outside of Travis Hunter early in the year, I think Parker Washington is the guy that goes and gets the floor. And now he's playing with enormous confidence. And right now, the last three weeks he's been their best receiver. And don't sleep on him in the return game too because he's very good as a punt returner. He's returned to this year. Should have been a third one was called back with a silly penalty that really wasn't a penalty. But he is dangerous in that aspect and I think that could come into play. You guys have been around the AFC east for a long time. I Started covering the New England patriots back in 01 when and the start of Brady. He reminds me of Troy Brown for the New England Patriots. He's that the return game. He can give you that in the passing game. He's not going to scare the heck out of you. But you look up and all of a sudden he's got four catches for 87 yards and a touchdown.

[Dan]

One more just to recap the offense that I want to switch to defense but just is the philosophy just putting the ball in Trevor's hands like ETN is, they're not much. I know he rushed for a thousand yards, but it doesn't feel like the ground game, which is something the Bills defense has struggled at this season. It doesn't feel like the Jags are leaning on that as much as they are. Trevor, btj, Parker, Washington and Jacoby Myers like you're talking about.

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, I think it's a good point and I think it's the one point of concern we have in Jacksonville going into the playoff. Well, not the one, but it's a team that's playing really good football right now. We don't have a lot to complain about, but I do think we wonder where that running game is at when they need to run this time of year. I think Liam Cohen wonders that right now if they need to run in a four minute offense or whenever that is, can they do it? They've gone away from it. I kind of was curious today on our show of, of saying are they doing that a little bit intentionally because Trevor's hot. So keep the ball in his hands and the passing game's hot. But also you can freshen up the run game. Guys like ETN, he's only had 59 total carries in the last month. So now going to this stretch of the season, he, he should be more fresh to, to hopefully go on a little bit of a run here. I don't know the answer, if I'm being honest. They, they came out of the bye week and they thought the way to get Trevor and this offense better was to run the football more. They ran the ball 47 times against the Chargers for 200 yards. This had become a we're going to pound the rock football team, use play action that's going to help our quarterback out. Then all of a sudden people loaded the box. It flipped to hey, make Trevor beat you. And Trevor's now beating you. So they're like, well let's just keep it in his hands. Kind of like you guys have experienced again with Josh over The years we have not seen that. But Liam is comfortable putting the ball in Trevor's hands right now. So it might be a mystery to you guys. I think it's a mystery to us. Are they going to try to run against Buffalo on Sunday or are they going to continue to put the ball in the hands of Trevor Lawrence and say, try to beat our quarterback because.

[Dan]

He'S hot right now and numbers can lie because the Bills have a really bad rushing defense and then they have this number one passing defense. I think both of those are somewhere in the middle in all this, Mike.

[Mike Catalano]

Yeah, I would agree because teams do want to run the ball on the Bills, right? That's what they will try to do. And when they have gotten beaten and even when they won, like when they won in Cleveland, Cleveland ran the ball on them, that has been an issue. But the Bills defense really struggles against the run up front. It has not been bad. Better with Shaq Thompson in the game. So I would think, along with you, that's going to be interesting to see. Do you lean into what the other team does poorly or do you lean into what the Jags have done? I'm thinking they still keep it in Trevor Lawrence's hands as the majority of this game and see if the Bills can stop it. Would you think that's the case?

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, again, I'm kind of torn on it. I. I get the hot hand. But I do think this team, and I give Liam Cohen credit because these coaches get real stubborn, at least they have in Jacksonville for a long time and he will change. And so I think exactly. If, if that's the weakness, which I know it can be for the Buffalo defense, I think he'll say this week we're going to go pound it, we're going to go back to that Chargers game. I don't think he'll get too caught up in the ego of trying to pass the ball and got to put it in Trevor's hands. Trevor will have plenty of throws in the game, there's no doubt about it. But I think I'd be a little surprised Sunday if the Jags don't come out and run with etn. And I think he will have challenged that offensive line. Remember, this is Liam Cohen got this job because he got the Bucks from 32nd in the league in rushing through number one in the league in rushing. And so he still believes in it. That's at his core. And this team has played physical football, is one of the most physical football teams we've seen in Jacksonville at least in my 18 years here. And so I think he knows that it takes this to win this time of year. It might be the formula to beat Buffalo and keep Josh Allen off the field. And so why not run the football?

[Mike Catalano]

All right. Before we get to the disparity in kickers, which is massive for this game, and to this defense and the way they've played, I want to go back to Liam Cohen. Do you, as a person who covers the team there, and the people of Jacksonville judge people by the way they try to say, duval, you judge. And did he get judged harshly from his news conference or was that right on Brand? Is that what he should have been doing?

[Brent Martineau]

No, I wouldn't say it was right on Brand. I think. I think he got judged a little bit by it. Listen, Liam's a Rhode island guy. I'm a Rhode island guy. I don't make fun of people for how they talk. Being from Rhode Island. Okay. I've worked very hard to get rid of that, that, that accent. So I, I still think that whole deal and I don't think he loves the fact that that's out there and people still make fun of it. I still feel like it was a little bit out of context because when you do the Duvall thing in which he had done with people in the building earlier on a social media post, when you're just doing it like on a one off, it's totally different than speaking at a press conference and mixing it in. So I think he kind of got cute trying to mix it in and appease the fans. And it just didn't flow the same way because you gotta like shout that thing out. Guys, like, you can't just be like in a mid sentence say Duval. It just doesn't come out that way. But he doesn't love it. I think it's kind of a fun thing. The Jags fans have wrapped their arms around even the alternate Duvall kind of like an alternate jersey.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Oh, my. That is funny. Real, real quick, just going off of that. The culture change that has been there. What has it been like to watch just the maturation of this team and just where they started the season at with, you know, so many thoughts and questions about what this year would be like. Even at the bye week, not knowing and then now seeing where this team is at, what has that been like?

[Brent Martineau]

It's been unbelievable. We're in the building a lot around the team of flying the team plane and we know these guys know Tony Bacelli pretty well who's been around this thing and bringing him in as EVP has been an unbelievable move. It's been the right move. And bigger than that, what he's been able to take off Liam Cohen's plate as a first time head coach, not putting it all on the head coach. I think that shared responsibility in some aspects has been very, very rewarding for this Jaguars franchise. And then there's the James Gladstone part. And he's been able to glue this thing together. The right pieces. I would challenge people in Buffalo or in Rochester or wherever to be able to name more than five or six players on this football team. Right. They are not household names. They are here in Jacksonville, but they're not these star players outside of Trevor, Josh, Hines, Allen, you know, now you know Jacobe Myers and play, but you can't name a lot of them. And they have found the right pieces, the right mix. But it started way back. You could feel the difference because alignment, which we did not have here in Jacksonville with Trent Balky and Doug Peterson and the feel in the building and I think transparency, I think alignment and transparency are two big things. These guys are very good at communicating. They're not afraid to communicate. And, and we know in places like fans for the Buffalo Bills, they are invested. Right. It's such a big deal. Well, here in Jacksonville, this is what we've got. The Jaguars are a big deal. And so allowing the fans in with transparency in press conferences, in. In any other way, speaking to them at functions and events, this brass has done a great job of that. And now you've translated that into obvious W's, which automatically it happens in snowballs and compounds. And I think we're seeing the effects of it. But it started way back when Bacelli was hired. I think he has great feel for what needed to change inside the building. From opening the lunchroom up to all employees to reaching out to the fans.

[Mike Catalano]

Hey, before you get to. Is, are we gonna have like a Tony Bacelli, Bruce Smith altercation at the game? Because you know, those two had their moments, right? And it always comes up, right? Bruce and Tony.

[Dan]

Totally. Jen and I totally know what you're talking about.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Well, before I.

[Mike Catalano]

Hold up, kids. Wait, this is back from the day, right? I figured two hall of Fame players. So you, you guys. Are we having this maybe like center of the field on Sunday? Why not?

[Brent Martineau]

It'd be great for the coin flip, wouldn't it? Hey, and Bruce Smith is a. In my opinion, we. We covered Tony getting into the hall of Fame for years, right? It took a while. It took Longer than anybody had hoped it would take. And he's the first and only hall of Famer for the Jaguars. But Bruce Smith in that game is one of the big reasons, right? It's one of the headlines why he got into the hall of Fame. So yeah, that would be a good, good coin toss. Although Tony might be up in the booth now with the EVP title.

[Mike Catalano]

That's true. Go ahead, guys. Right back to you.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Before you interrupted me, I was gonna interrupt Dan and just say it is amazing what a change in leadership can do and, and with adults in the room and just what that looks like. I know for Buffalo, having Sean McDermott, Brandon Bean and just the culture change, I think sometimes people like poo poo culture and they're like, does it really matter? But when you action and you see what a difference it can make, it can really be the difference for a franchise. And it's been interesting to see zooming out, just looking at what's been going on in Jacksonville and the success that has been had by having the change of scenery in terms of the brass there.

[Brent Martineau]

But yeah, I'm gonna jump in real quick on that just for a second, if you don't mind Detroit. I, I wrote this article last year which I always pump up because I think it was, it was spot on if you don't mind me saying. But the. I thought Detroit was the blueprint when they brought in Chris Spielman to kind of. He knew the organization so well and so he knew what it meant to be a Detroit Lion. He knew what the fans had been through all these lean years and then before you knew it, they got Brad Holmes and then obviously they get Dan Campbell and then that's where it all started. And so that's why I was a big advocate to get Bacelli involved because he knew the ins and outs of this building, this setting here in Jacksonville and. And then they made terrific hires. And it has to be worth noting that first year EVP first year and 34 year old now 35 year old James Gladstone GM, 39 year old now 40 year old first time head coach ever didn't even never been a head coach of Pop Warner is Liam Cohen first time defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile first time offensive. I said offensive defensive coordinator Campanile offensive coordinator first time Grant Udinsky hired at 29 years old. I mean these guys are all in it for the first time in these respects.

[Dan]

Yeah.

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah.

[Jenna Cottrell]

I said adults in the room but I really should young adults faces but had the right perspective on what this Team needed, but also going back to the roots of what the organization has been about. Yeah, yeah.

[Dan]

And I want to bring. Now I want to talk about the defense because it's gotten a lot of attention and I think a lot of it, rightfully so. But where is this defense in the grand scheme? Because I think sometimes, as I said before, stats can be deceiving and sometimes you need a little bit of context. And over this eight game winning streak, I don't need to tell you, they faced a lot of backup quarterbacks. So where is this defense in the grand scheme of things heading into this postseason?

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, I think it's a fair curiosity. The stats will say what you all know, right? Number one, rush defense, which they've been very good. And. And their two biggest tests against Jonathan Taylor were admirable. They did a nice job against him. Other than that, if you really go back, they have not faced kind of like this murderer's row of running backs and offensive lines. Even Christian McAffrey, like he was more catching passes out of the backfield than running. And. And if you look at the 49ers, they're not really good at the run game this year. So this James Cook challenge will be best on best. But the Jags have been very good at that. But, and I also think one other thing about the Jags run defense, there was a period of time where everybody was like, we're just going to throw the ball against them. That's the way to beat them. And so I don't even think teams were trying to run at times. So that's a heck of a matchup. The turnovers, hey, sometimes they're there and sometimes they're not. Last year they weren't nine of them. Everybody preaches them. I don't know why. They happen some years and sometimes they don't. They're happening this time around. That started off when the Jags got off to a 4 and 1 start on the strength of all those turnovers. And they're still coming. 22 interceptions, that's a franchise record. 31 turnovers, second to the Bears. And however many points off turnovers, it's a lot. So there's the complimentary football. They're giving it to them. We saw the 2017 Jags. Obviously, that defense in Saxonville played against Buffalo in the playoffs. It's not that kind of defense. You don't go in thinking the defense is going to win the football game, but you do go into a football game thinking, I bet the defense is going to make a play or two. Sure that it's going to matter. And I think like the other day it was one turnover, it was a pick six. And they are playing at a very high level, confident level. And I think Campanile's been awesome finding the right buttons to push because he mixes it up. This is not just, hey, go out and play. This is what we do every week. It might be something different.

[Dan]

We're going to have a handoff here. Who can put their hand in front of you?

[Mike Catalano]

You gave Dan ammunition to. Yeah, now this is the way Dan will handle this. He'll be like, well, we talked to expert in Jacksonville who said the Jags defense isn't as good as everybody thinks. They're no good. This is what you will do. This is what you will do with no information.

[Dan]

No, I won't.

[Mike Catalano]

You heard the man.

[Dan]

There's nobody I respect more on Jacksonville than this man, but I think that there needs to be context to it. I talked about the fact that I said they haven't faced over their eight game winning streak. A top ten rushing attack. The jets were. The jets were tenth in yards per. Yards per game.

[Mike Catalano]

Yes, yes, I, I know. I heard Brent. I know exactly what he said. We'll have five other podcasts to argue about it. It is funny, Brent.

[Jenna Cottrell]

The backstory is before we got on this podcast, we were having a discussion in the sports offense office. Office, office about Jacksonville's defense. And the talk about, you know, they've been playing very well as of late, but are they as good especially in their run defense as been has been talked about or is it more so they haven't played some elite rushing offenses? And so you're in the middle. Welcome to my life. You are in the middle of what this is like with two children bickering about what the context is.

[Dan]

There's contact.

[Brent Martineau]

I like it. It's going to force, it's going to force that Buffalo offense into some decisions. Because the same thing you guys asked me about Trevor Lawrence or Travis etn, they can ask themselves, this is the playoffs. The best quarterback probably in the playoffs is Josh Allen. The most dangerous guy. Do you put it in his hands or do you be patient and run the football and try to run it? Because guys, you know, it an offense, they can outsmart themselves. They're like, wait, this team's really good against the run. We, we can't try that. Will they try it? Will they stick to it in Buffalo or will they put it in the hands of Josh Allen? Because I think the Jags will do an admirable job against the run against James Cook. Because what I say is I think the Jags can still win the football game as long as he doesn't go for a buck 50. I don't think they have to hold him to 70. He just, he just can't go off. But if you compliment that. And Josh Allen's also scoring too, now you got a problem in Jacksonville.

[Mike Catalano]

So speaking of Josh Allen, Josh Hines Allen, the last time they met down in Jacksonville, he was the best Josh Allen on the field in that game 96 game. Dan and I always talk about that game. Yeah, we still think the Bills are going to win that game. Like we, we always joke about it like that was. That was wild that day. But he was incredibly impactful in that game. Tell us about those guys, the D line, the line, the linebackers who've played so well for this team. Where's the front seven on this team in general and only have that many sacks? I think it's. What is it, 32, 33 on the year. But where do you see that front line?

[Brent Martineau]

Oh, by the way, about that game, I can't believe the Jags won that game either. One offense and the number one defense coming to Jacksonville against Urban Meyer. And I lost the bet in that game. I said I would jump through a table if they. I still haven't delivered, by the way. I'm too old for it.

[Dan]

Brett. Not only that, we came down, it was 40 and rainy, and back in western New York, it was like 80. Yeah, everything was upside down at that game. It was absolutely insane. But yeah, we want to hear about the pass rush.

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah. Josh Hines Allen, who has since obviously changed his name to Josh Hines Allen. He's, he's been terrific. This is to me where the strength is of the defense. I think a little more household names in terms of Josh Hines Allen, former number one overall pick Trayvon Walker and Eric Armstead in that middle. Those guys have impressive resumes. They're beasts. But the guy that doesn't get the attention in terms of this run defense and is playing at a very high level in that unsexy position is Devon Hamilton, the nose tackle. He's been very good. The Jags have been searching for that defensive tackle, that three technique position to be impactful. Eric Armstead was playing out of position last year. Didn't happen. They've kicked him back inside the depth of a second round pick out lsu. Mason Smith hasn't really materialized, so they don't necessarily have a student next to Hamilton. But I Think you've got the savvy of a guy like Armstead. And now they're starting to move Trayvon Walker around because he's got the ability to play inside as well, kind of like Kus Campbell did in 2017. And the combination of all that is really working. And their linebackers are playing at a high level foyer. Lukin's very underrated, has been for a long time tackling machine and Devin Lloyd's been a splash play monster who they can also bring up to rush the passer a little bit.

[Jenna Cottrell]

Bit, yeah. Real quick before we let you go. You probably weren't thinking this was b in store for you all the the jokes today, but it's going to be a big topic in western New York. Matt Prater, the Bills kicker, injured his quad yesterday against the Jets. He had already had a quad injury. The Bills were still waiting to figure out who they're going to sign, what that will look like. And then I look at the Jags and Cam Little and the success that he has had this season. Two of the longest field goals in NFL history. What have you seen from him and how much confidence does that give this team? Having a guy that has had success in big moments and from ridiculous lengths, it's unbelievable.

[Brent Martineau]

He's, he's a fun guy too. He's 22 years old. Well, he looks like a 22 year old. He kind of acts like in a good way but dang, does he have a big leg. And the vibe, guys, I felt this in the preseason when he kicked the 70 yarder. The anticipation yesterday in the stadium when he the ball was at midfield for him to come out. It, it. You can just start feeling it. And I've never covered a kicker that you just feel that like please kick the ball. We want to see it from 67, 68, 70 yards. And he's been money. And Liam Cohen may be one of his best moves of the year. He missed few field goals down the first half of the season. You wondered if a guy would he would start bringing competition in, would they lose a little trust in him? Liam came out on the podium and said, this is our guy. He's going to kick his way through it. He's going to make huge kicks for us. He hasn't missed since in the second half of the year.

[Mike Catalano]

Well, it has been impressive. It's been an impressive run for the Jacksonville Jaguars. We're looking forward to coming down. You were saying about Bill's fans making the trip. It's 80 degrees or it's at least in the 70s, Jacksonville, they'll want to get out of Buffalo. So people are going to have options to sell those tickets if they want to, because I think Bill's fans are going to want to come down for this one. I think it's going to be a great game.

[Brent Martineau]

It should be a fun game. I love the matchup. And when you have Josh Allen and Trevor Lawrence and the way they are, like Trevor's playing and Josh has played, I mean, that's fun. I think it's one of the best matchups in the league and I think it's going to be a really good football game because I know some people in Buffalo seem frustrated about the Bills this year. Maybe not as good as. I don't see it that way. I think they're very dangerous and I'm looking at the numbers and everything else, and I think I, I don't think that's the right way to look at it. I don't think this team will. But I can guarantee you this. Liam Cohen's going to put the fact that they're a home underdog in this game.

[Mike Catalano]

Oh, yeah. Even though it's. It's a small number, they can make it seem like it's 40 points that they're an underdog. Hey, before we let you go, let everybody know they got a chance to hear you here where they can hear you and see you if they want to watch online to see or follow you on social media.

[Brent Martineau]

Yeah, best way to look. Action sports Jacks all over social media and Also on our new 24.7network, now 2 years old on Action SportsJax.com bunch of programming and obviously a lot of football talk in the Jacksonville Jaguars. But we do a lot of other things, too. So jump on board, like, and subscribe. As you guys would say.

[Jenna Cottrell]

We love it.

[Mike Catalano]

Well, Brent, Brent Martineau, thank you very much for being with us and we will see you. We'll be down in Jacksonville for the game we're all looking forward to. So thanks again for being a great guest. We appreciate your time and we look forward to the game on Sunday. That's going to do it for our group for today. We'll have plenty of content all week long, as Brent just said. As always, please make sure to, like, comment and subscribe. Thanks for being with us here in the Connors and Ferris podcast studio. And we will see you next time on Buffalo plus.

[Brent Martineau]

It.