Jaguars take heat for crucial fourth-down call

The Jacksonville Jaguars had a chance to go up seven points in the second quarter against the Buffalo Bills in their AFC Wild Card Round matchup on Sunday.

Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence took a snap on 4th-and-2 and ran to his left. He tried to reach the marker and officials initially ruled he had enough for a first down. But the Bills challenged the ball’s location and a replay showed Lawrence was way short.

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Jacksonville finished the series with zero points. The Bills scored on their next drive to take a 10-7 lead.

Super Bowl champion TJ Ward disagreed with the play on fourth down instead of trying to take the points.

“I’m so sick of these coaches trying it on fourth down,” Ward wrote in X. “Take the points. Points are more than just points.

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Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence (16) stands next to head coach Liam Coen during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026 in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

“They keep your momentum going! And when you miss on fourth down, you give the other team a tremendous boost. Football is not rocket science.”

Jacksonville ran down the field from its own 1-yard line and was able to make a field goal attempt from 54 yards before halftime. Cam Little missed the kick a little to his left.

Lawrence was 9 of 15 for 88 yards and a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr. He had 29 rushing yards on three carries.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence looks to pass against the Buffalo Bills during the first half of an NFL wild card playoff football game on Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026, in Jacksonville, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

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Bills quarterback Josh Allen entered the locker room with 129 passing yards and 12 rushing yards. He scored for the Bills on the ground.